Leon - Singin' Sepia

TANIA LEÓN Singin’ Sepia for voice and chamber ensemble

to my mother on her 70th birthday

SINGIN’ SEPIA 1. WIRING HOME

Rita Dove Libero, fast

= ca. 70

5

Tania León (1996)

sul pont.

Violin fltg.

Clarinet in B

Voice Lest 3

(8va sempre)

I

molto legato

Piano l.v.

II

(8ba sempre) sost. Ped. ord. 5

3

5

3

3

5

5 3

3

the

wolves loose their

whis

3

tles

6

and

shop keep ers in quire,

5

6

3 7

senza Ped. © Copyright 1996 by Southern Music Publishing Co., Inc. International Copyright Secured.

Printed in the U.S.A. All Rights Reserved.

2 5

(bend pitch)

gliss. gliss.

keep

mov

ing;

7

breve

7

pizz.

(secco)

3

ord.

5

pizz.

arco

3

fltg.

(bend pitch)

breve

though

your knees

flush red as two chapped ap ples

keep

keep

breve

secco breve

secco

senza Ped.

3 11

a tempo

Più mosso

3

3

gl.

3

mov

ing;

head

up,

past

the

3

senza Ped.

13

sub.

3

beg

gar’s

cold

cup,

secco 3

secco

3

3

secco

4

loosely, not too fast

15

fltg.

a tempo 18

3 3 3 3

3

cresc.

3

3

past

fires

3

banked

un

3

der chest

nuts

3

and the trumpet ing

5 20

fltg.

ki osk’s

tales

of

od ys sey

and *

6

/

rallentando

22

un

til,

turn

ing

a

cor

ner,

*) + - Press string at the bass and play keyboard.

you

stand

star

heart break

6 24

(rallentando)

a tempo

(spicc. gliss.)

3

ing:

(g)

am

bushed

by

3

senza Ped.

26 3

3

6

sub.

6

3

a win

3

3

sost. Ped.

dow

of

ca na

ries

7 28

3

3

3

3

Vln.

3

3

Cl.

3

3

bright

3

as a thou

sand

gold

en

3

(sost.)

senza Ped.

Senza misura

31 3

Vln. cresc.

3

Cl.

3

nar

ci

ssi.

8

2. PERSEPHONE ABDUCTED

Rita Dove

Tania León

Blues ( =ca. 50) Violin

Clarinet in B (dark)

(whisper) Voice Sh

She

cried

for

Ma ma,

who did

not

(8va sempre)

I

Piano

8va

II

(8ba sempre)

3

3

(wavy gliss.)

3

hear.

3

3

She

left

with a wild

3

3

3 © Copyright 1996 by Southern Music Publishing Co., Inc. All Rights Reserved.

eye

thrown

9

Poco accel.

5

fltg.

fltg.

3

3

fltg.

3

back,

she

leftwith cur

ses,

rage that with

ered

her fea turesto

3

8

Tempo I

3

3

a

hag’s.

No

3

3 3

one,

No

one can

tell a moth

er

10 11

a tempo

rall.

3

how

to

act:

3

there

are

no

laws

when

3

3

3’’

13 3

3

3

3

(speech)

3

3

3

laws are bro

ken, no names

3

3 3

to

call

3

u

pon.

11

Tempo I ( = ca. 50) accel.

poco accel.

15

fltg.

-

-

3

Some

-

cresc.

say

there’s nou rishment

for

pain,

and

call it

senza Ped.

= 110 17

col legno battuto

pizz.

sempre l.v. fltg.

fltg.

sempre

with rage

Phi

lo

so phy.

That’s

for

the

birds

12 20

fltg.

vul

ture

and

hawk,

the

large

ones

as fast as possible

-

23

fltg.

who

praise

-

the

mir

a

cle

-

of

13 26

fltg.

flight

fltg.

be

cause

they

use

it

-

29

breve

breve

fltg.

breve

so

di

li

gent

ly.

poco rall.

breve

breve

poco rall.

-

14 32

Lento, Blues ad lib.

con sord.

-

-

She

left

us

sing

ing

in

the field,

o

bli

l.v.

l.v.

35

to a whisper

to all but

l.v.

l.v.

the

ache

of

our

own

bent

backs.

vi ous

15

3. THE SLAVE’S CRITIQUE OF PRACTICAL REASONS Rita Dove

Tania León

Molto energico ( = ca. 76)

arco

pizz.

pizz.

Violin fltg.

Clarinet in B

Voice Ain’t

got

ain’t got a rea son to

run a

way

(8va sempre)

I

Piano

II (8ba sempre)

5

senza Ped.

not

molto accel.

pizz.

arco

one

would

save

my life

© Copyright 1996 by Southern Music Publishing Co., Inc. All Rights Reserved.

least

ways

16 8

pizz.

Tempo I arco

-

leastways,

not one

wouldsave

my

So

life.

senza Ped.

12

Andante libero

Tempo I

Libero

arco

breve

-

accel.

-

senza vibr.

I

3

scoop specu

la

tion

in to ahopsack.

I

a tempo

breve

scoopfluff 3

till

cresc.

thegroundrearswhiteandI’m

17 15

A tempo

Libero, lirico

-

-

the on ly

18

dark spot

in the

sky.

a

b

18 18

c

Static ( = 60)

d

-

3

All day

3

the

chil

dren

sit 8va

3

3

3

21 3

3

3

3

3

in

the

weeds

to

wait

out

the

heat

withtherat

tlers.

3

R.H.: tap on wood

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3 3

3

3

3

3 3

3

3

24

19

Libero

-

all

In tempo

= 60

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

25

3

3

All

day OurLa

dy

of theMilkTooth 8va

attends them while I,

the Owl of

the

8va

20

Tempo I ( = 76) 27

senza vib.

fltg.

Brok en Spir

it

keep

dip ping

and thinking up tunes

that fly

off

senza Ped.

29

molto ritmico pizz.

arco con sord. senza vib.

pizz.

(spoken)

quickas they hit

theair.

8va

As far as

I

can

see

21 32

Andante

Andante, Libero

3

3

with breath

it’s in

hot hea

ter ven

thanin thecool,cool earth.

I

know

cause I’ve beenthere

8va

33

pizz.

pizz.

arco

arco

breve

breve

breve

molto ritmico

a

ston

y

mote

cir

cling

the

mindless

blue,

22

Libero, marcato 34 pizz.

colla voce

fltg.

bocca chiusa

drop

ing

rows

of

mm

lit

tle

clouds,

35

fltg.

no-

good

reasons,

no,

no-

good

rea

sons

3

3

3

3

fo’

3

3

sale.

23

4. IN THE BULRUSH Rita Dove

Tania León

Molto energico (presto possibile)

jeté gliss.

7

Violin

fltg.

Clarinet in B

Voice Cut

7

5

(8va sempre)

I

7

Piano

II

(8ba sempre)

7 7

3

= 72–76

3

5

5

3

3

3

a

cane

that

once grew

3

in

5

senza Ped.

© Copyright 1996 by Southern Music Publishing Co., Inc. All Rights Reserved.

7

24

Meno mosso ( = 50) 5

6

senza vib.

sub.

sub.

5

sub.

sub.

3

in theri

ver.

3 5

6

5

6

senza Ped.

senza Ped.

accel.

8

breve

sul pont.

A tempo ( = 72–76) ord.

breve

sub.

L

3

bocca chiusa

breve

5

lean breve

breve

on

mm

25

molto rubato e poco a poco rall.

con sord. senza vib.

10

5

5

5

-

5

it.

Wei

ei eigh

5

a

5

5

5

stone

5

5

-

5

-

5

senza Ped.

A tempo ( = 72–76)

13

fltg.

5

5

5

5

in

your

-

5

hands

and

5 5

Senza Ped.

put

it

down

26 5

15

senza sord.

3

5

-

-

3

5

3

a

gain.

Watch

it

moss

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

18 3

3

3

3

ver.

Strike,

strike

3

3

Senza Ped.

the

stone

o

27 21 3

5

3

3

5

3

bocca chiusa

5

5 3

3

mm

to

3

24

see

3

if

it’s

3

3

3

3

fltg.

3

fltg.

3

fltg.

3

3

3

3

3

think

ing

of

3

wa

ter.

3

3

3

28

5. THEN CAME FLOWERS

Rita Dove

Tania León

Vivo Energico

= 50 3

Violin Clarinet in B

Voice (8va sempre)

I

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

Piano

II

(8ba sempre)

4 3

3

3

3

3

freely

(whisper) 3

3 3

I shouldhave known

3

if you

gave meflo wers

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

They

would be

3

chrysan themums.

3

3

© Copyright 1996 by Southern Music Publishing Co., Inc. All Rights Reserved.

29 7

= 50

Stretto fltg.

3

falsetto

Thewhite

3

spikessingedmy

3

fingers.

I criedout;

theyspilledfromthegreentis sue

And

3

10

pizz.

3

spread

at

3

my

feet

3

in

3

a

3

3

pool

of

3

3

3

3

3

3

soft

fire.

30

Energico agitato ( = ca. 76) 13

(pizz.)

arco

pizz.

3

15

If

3

I

begged

you

to

stay,

31 17

what

good

would it

do

me?

In

the

bed, you would

8va 8va

8va

20

pizz.

lay

the

flow ers

arco

pizz.

be tween us.

I

will

pick them

up

la

ter,

32

rall.

22

senza vib.

a

range them with

pin cers,

I

will

pickthem up

la ter,

8va

senza Ped.

25

A tempo,

(rall.)

= 50, poco a poco rall. al fine

3

dim.

ar

3

3

range

them with

pin cers.

All

3

night

33 27

3 3

3

6

3

3 3

from the bu reau

they’ll watch

me,

their

Plu

mage

as

3

29

as

co

3

3

cky,

as

fi

re

3

crack

3

3

ers.

proud,