Tania Leรณn Atwood Songs for Soprano and Piano
The "Atwood Songs" were commissioned thanks to the support of the Hanson Institute for American Music at the Eastman School of Music, and The College of Arts and Sciences at Syracuse University.
“Atwood Songs” Poetry by Margaret Atwood
1. NOTES TOWARDS A POEM THAT CAN NEVER BE WRITTEN
4. HABITATION
For Carolyn Forche
Marriage is not a house or even a tent
I
it is before that, and colder:
This is the place you would rather not know about, this is the place that will inhabit you, this is the place you cannot imagine, this is the place that will finally defeat you
the edge of the forest, the edge of the desert the unpainted stairs at the back where we squat outside, eating popcorn
where the word why shrivels and empties itself. This is famine.
the edge of the receding glacier
2. MEMORY Memory is not in the head only. It’s midnight, you existed once, you exit again, my entire skin sensitive as an eye, imprint of you glowing against me, burnt-out match in a dark room.
3. EATING FIRE Eating Fire is your ambition: to swallow the flame down take it into your mouth and shoot it forth, a shout or an incandescent tongue, a word exploding from you in golf, crimson unrolling in a brilliant scroll To be lit up from within vein by vein To be the sun (Taught by a sideshow man)
where painfully and with wonder at having survived even this far we are learning to make fire
5. FOUR EVASIONS Sitting in this car, houses & wind outside, three in the morning, windows obliterated by snow coats & arms around each other, hands cold, no place we can go unable to say how much I want you unable even to say I am unable * Not that there is nothing to be said but that there is too much: this cripples me. I watch with envy & desire, you speak so freely. *
CONTENTS
1. Notes towards a poem that can never be written
1
2. Memory
4
3. Eating Fire
6
4. Habitation
10
5 Four Evasions
13
to Eileen Strempel and Sylvie Beaudette
Atwood Songs 1. Notes towards a poem that can never be written Margaret Atwood
Tania León
Decisive q=72
6 4
9
9
5 8
mf
6 4
2
sfz
5 8 mf
mp
5 8
4
f 9
5 8
6 32
6 4
6 32
6 4
4 4
6 4 f
6 4 5
sfz
10
mf
4 4
5 4 This
4 4
is
the
place
5 4 f
4 4
4 4
mf
mp 12
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5 4
2
6
5 4
6 4 you would
ra
ther
not
know
bout,
11
5 4
6 4
p
mp
mf
11
5 4
7
a
6 4
3
6 4 this
is
the
place
that
will
in
ha
3 4 bit
you, 8
6 4 mp
7
mf
3 4
mp
3 4
6 4
8
mp
3 4
this is the
i
ma
gine,
3
3 4
mp
3 4
you can not
place
3
p
5
5
mp
5
mf
4
2. Memory Margaret Atwood
Tania LeĂłn
Recitative, molto espresssivo
0 0
mf
f
mp
Lento con moto 2
mp
3
5 4
Me mo ry
0
3
is not in the head on
ly.
0
5 4 p
mp
mf
mp
0
5 4
5
sfz f
f
6
A tempo
A tempo
0
2 4 It’s
2 4
mp
5 4
mid night,
you
0 0
ex ist ed once,
5 4 p
f
2 4
mf
5 4
mp
6
3. Eating Fire Tania Leรณn
Margaret Atwood
q=84
mf
6 4
lunga
3 4 Ea
ting
lunga
6 4
3 4 mp
f
6 4
2
3 4
3 4
5 4 fi
re is your am bi tion:
Ea
3 4
ting
5 4 mf
3 4
mp
mp mf
5 4
breve
4
Fi re is your am bi tion:
4 4
to
swa llow the flame
down
take
4 4 mf
mp
4 4
7
6
4 4
5 4 it
8
mf
in to your mouth and shoot
it
forth,
4 4 a
shout
4 4
5 4
4 4
4 4
5 4
4 4
4 4 or
an in can de scent
tongue,
4 4
4 4
10
mp
3 4
to
3 4 f
3 4
mp
10
4. Habitation Margaret Atwood
Tania LeĂłn
Lento (quasi recitativo, poco rubato) with resolve q=ca. 64 f
5 4
Mar
riage
is
not
a
house
5 4 mf
5 4
mp
2
or
e ven a
3
tent
mp
mp
3
f
it
7
3
3
is
2+3 4 16
mp
be fore that,
3
3
3
3
3
3
mf
3
and cold er:
2+3 4 16 f
2+3 4 16
Poco piĂš mosso with rhythmic drive q=ca. 70 4
f
4 4
the edge
4 4 mf
4 4
mf
of
the for
est
the edge
of
the de
sert
11
7
the_un paint ed stairs
9
at
the back where we squat
eat ing
pop corn
out side,
3
3
6
the
edge
of
3
3
3
3
3
3
the
re
mf
mp
ce
ding
mp
mf
11
3
gla
cier
5 4
5
where pain ful
ly
and with
5 4 mf
mp
5 4
13
5. Four Evasions Margaret Atwood
Tania Leรณn
Quasi blues
q=65-70
4 4
3 4
mp
f
3 4
4 4
4
3 4
3 4
mp
f
4 4
2 4 mp
3 4
4 4
4 4 13
3
2 4
mf
mp
mf
7
3 4
3
Sit ting
in this car,
f
4 4
mp
6
hou ses
&win dow
6
9
out
side,
mf
poco accel.
poco rall.
0
6 4
0 0
3
6 4 breve
6 4
14 10
6 4
a tempo
4 4 three in the mor ning,
6 4
win
dows
4 4 f
mf
7
mp
6 4
4 4
12
5 4 o
bli ter a
ted by
2 4
6
snow
coats
&
arms
a round
2 4
5 4 mp
mp
2 4
5 4 14
2 4
3 4
4 4
3 4
4 4
3 4
4 4
each o ther,
2 4 mf
2 4
16
4 4
3
5 4 hands cold,
no place
4 4
we can go
5 4 mf
mp
p
mf mp
5 4
un a ble to
3
3
4 4
3
mf mp
3