John Harbison
A CLEAR MIDNIGHT for Soprano, TTBB choir, and string quintet
text by Walt Whitman
From the G. Schirmer Rental Library date of printing _________________
Associated Music Publishers, Inc. New York, NY
John Harbison
A CLEAR MIDNIGHT for Soprano, TTBB choir, and string quintet
text by Walt Whitman
this work is commissioned by The Georgina Joshi Foundation and dedicated to Chris Carducci, Garth Eppley, Georgina Joshi, Zachary Novak and Robert Samels duration ca. 8 minutes
Associated Music Publishers, Inc. New York, NY
Part I Darest Thou Now O Soul (STTBB) Darest thou now, O soul, Walk out with me toward the Unknown Region, Where neither ground is for the feet, nor any path to follow? No map, there, nor guide, Nor voice sounding, nor touch of human hand, Nor face with blooming flesh, nor lips, nor eyes, are in that land. I know it not, O soul; Nor dost thou–all is a blank before us; All waits, undream’d of, in that region–that inaccessible land. Till, when the ties loosen, All but the ties eternal, Time and Space, Nor darkness, gravitation, sense, nor any bounds, bound us. Then we burst forth–we float, In Time and Space, O soul–prepared for them; Equal, equipt at last–(O joy! O fruit of all!) them to fulfil, O Soul.
Part II A Clear Midnight (TTBB)
The Last Invocation (S)
This is thy hour O soul, thy free flight into the wordless, At the last, tenderly, From the walls of the powerful, fortress’d house, From the clasp of the knitted locks–from the keep of the well-closed doors, Let me be wafted. Away from books, away from art, the day erased, the lesson done, Let me glide noiselessly forth; With the key of softness unlock the locks–with a whisper, Set ope the doors, O Soul! Thee fully forth emerging, silent, gazing, pondering the themes thou lovest best. Tenderly! be not impatient! (Strong is your hold, O mortal flesh! Strong is your hold, O love.) Night, sleep, death and the stars.
A CLEAR MIDNIGHT Walt Whitman
Part I
Andante cantabile
John Harbison
= 66
in fuori
Solo Soprano
Where nei ther 3
3
2 Tenor 8
Dar est thou now,
O
Soul,
Walk
out
with me
toward the Un
known
3
3
2 Bass
Dar est thou now,
O
Soul,
Walk
out
with me
toward the Un
3
known
3
a
accomp.
Violin
3
3
b
accomp.
3
3
a
accomp.
Viola b
Violoncello 3
3
accomp. rubato
5
3
ground
is
3
3
for the
feet,
nor an y
path
3
dim.
3
3
3
to fol
3
8
Re
gion,
toward the Un
known
Re
gion,
known
Re
gion,
3
Re
gion,
toward the Un 3
3
3
3
Copyright Š 2009 by Associated Music Publishers, Inc. (BMI) New York, NY International Copyright Secured. All Rights Reserved. Warning: Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited by Federal law and subject to criminal prosecution.
Property of: G. Schirmer Rental Library Bellvale Road Chester, NY 10918 SUPPLIED ON LOAN ONLY
2 9
non troppo legato
3
low?
No
map, there,
8
14
legato
Nor
8
face
cresc.
nor guide,
Nor voice sound ing,
nor face,
nor touch of hu man hand,
No map,
guide,
voice,
touch,
No map,
guide,
voice,
touch,
dim.
5
with bloom
3
ing flesh,
nor
nor
lips,
lips,
nor eyes,
nor
eyes,
are dim.
are dim.
nor face,
nor
lips,
nor eyes,
are
in
that
3
in
that
3
in 3
3 3
3
that
3 rit. a tempo
18 (dim.)
land. (dim.)
8
animando
3
3
land.
I
(dim.)
know
it
not,
O
Soul;
Nor dost
3
land.
I
know
thou–
all
thou–
all
3
is
a
3
it
not,
O
Soul;
Nor dost
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
is
a
3
3
Poco più animato = 72 mormorando, rubato (Tempo II) 3 3
22
3
All
3
3
3
3
3
3
waits, 3
8
blank
be fore us;
All
waits,
un
dream’d
of,
in that 3
blank
be fore us;
All
waits,
un
dream’d
of,
in that
3
3
3
3
4 più sostenuto 26
3
All
3
3
3
3
re
re
3
waits,
All non legato
8
3
3
gion–
that
3
3
3
3
waits
cresc.
5
that in non legato
gion–
3
ac
ces
si
ble
land.
Till, when cresc.
the
si
ble
land.
Till,
the
5
in
ac
ces
non legato
when
5
cresc. non legato
cresc.
5 5
non legato
cresc. non legato
5
cresc.
poco a poco animando 30
3
the
3
ties
3
loos
3
3
3
3
ties
loos en,
Till,
when
the
ties
the
ties
3
en, 3
cresc.
8
3
3
the
3
ties
3
3
loos
3
loos en,
All
loos en,
All
cresc.
ties
loos en,
Till,
when
3
3
3
3
3
3
cresc.
cresc.
cresc.
cresc.
5 Animato = 80 (Tempo III) 34
3 3
3
3
en,
Time
3
Space,
3
cresc.
8
and
3
but the cresc.
ties
3
but
the
3
3
3
3
3
3
ties
3
e
ter nal,
Time
and Space,
e
ter nal,
Time
and Space,
cresc.
3
cresc.
3
cresc.
3
cresc.
legato
38
calando 3
3
Nor dark ness,
grav i
3
ta tion,
sense,
nor an
y bounds,
3
8
Nor
dark ness,
grav i
ta
tion,
sense,
nor an
y bounds,
ta
tion,
sense,
nor an
y bounds,
3
Nor
dark ness,
grav i
3
3
3
3
6 Tempo II ( = 72)
42
bound
ing us.
bound
3
8
ing us.
bound
3
dolce
Then we burst forth–
we
marc.
3
bound ing us.
marc.
ing us.
dolce
Then we marc.
burst forth–
Then
burst forth–
we dolce
3
bound ing us.
bound
ing us.
we
3
3
marc.
3
3
marc.
3
3
3
3
we
dolce
dolce
dolce
marc.
dolce marc.
Animando 46
3
3
3
float,
3
3
we
cresc.
3
3
3
float, cresc.
8
float,
we
float, cresc.
float,
we
float,
cresc.
cresc. 3
3
cresc.
cresc.
3
7
Animato = 80 (Tempo III) 50
3
3 3
In
3
3
Time
3
and
Space,
O
dim.
8
In
Time
and
Space,
O
soul–
O
soul–
pre
soul–
pre
dim.
In
Time
and
Space,
O
soul–
marc.
dim.
marc.
dim.
marc.
dim.
marc.
dim.
O
3
54
legatiss.
ardente
(O
Soul– ben articulato
8
pared
for them;
3
E qual,
e quipt
at
last–
them
ben articulato
pared
for them;
ben articulato
ben articulato
ben articulato
ben articulato
3
to 3
E qual,
e quipt
at
last–
them
3
to
cresc.
ful cresc.
fil,
O
ful
fil,
O
3
cresc. 3
cresc. 3
cresc.
3
cresc.
8 58
incalzando
cresc.
joy!
3
O
fruit
3
of all!)
(O
Soul.
them
to
ful
3
Soul.
3
them
to
O
fruit
of
all!)
cresc.
3
8
joy!
fil,
3
O
Soul.
them
to 3
cresc.
ful
fil,
(O
O
Soul.
3
them
to
ful
fil,
cresc.
ful
fil,
3
3
cresc.
cresc.
3
3
cresc.
3
3
cresc.
3
cresc.
cresc.
cresc.
3
cresc.
cresc.
Tempo III ( = 80) = 88 riten.
62
cresc.
3
joy!
O
fruit
of
all!) cresc.
8
(O
joy!
O
Soul.
O
Soul.
cresc.
cresc.
cresc.
cresc.
cresc.
cresc.
9 dim. al niente
66 *
O
joy!
O fruit
of
all!)
dim.
8
dim.
70
sempre animando, poco a poco 5 5
3
3
3
5
cresc.
cresc.
3
cresc. 3
cresc.
cresc.
3
10 Allegro
74
= 120
3
cresc.
5
3
cresc.
cresc. 3
cresc.
3
3
cresc.
Animando
78
5
3 3
( = 144)
82
3
3
3
=
11 Tempo II ( = 72)
rit.
87
sonoro
sonoro
sonoro
sonoro (open) 0
Part II 91
a tempo ( = 72)
At misterioso
8
This
is
thy
hour
O
Soul,
thy
hour
O
Soul,
misterioso
This
is
misterioso
misterioso
misterioso
misterioso
the last,
ten
der
ly,
12 cresc.
95
cresc.
3
From
the walls
of
the pow
er
ful,
for
tress’d house,
From
the clasp
of the
3
8
thy
free
flight
in
to
the word
less,
the word
less,
3
thy
free
flight
in
to
3
3 3
3
99
cresc.
(cresc.)
knit ted locks–
from
the
keep
3
of
the well- closed doors,
Let
me
be cresc.
8
A way
from books,
cresc.
A way
from books,
13 103
waft
8
ed.
Let
be
waft
ed.
a
way
from art,
the day
e
rased,
the les son done,
a
way
from art,
the day
e
rased,
the les son done,
107
3
Let
8
me
me glide
noise less
3
ly forth;
With
the key
of soft
ness
un lock the locks–
14 cantabilissimo
111
3
with
3
3
a
whis
per,
Set ope
the doors,
Set ope
Thee
ful
ly
forth
e
3
Thee
115
3
ful
ly
ing,
si
lent,
merg
ing,
si
lent,
3
forth
e
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
Soul!
Ten
ing,
ing,
der ly!
thou lov est
best.
thou lov est
best.
dim.
pon d’ring the themes 3
dim. 3
dim. 3
dim. 3
dim.
3
be not im pa tient!
dim.
pon d’ring the themes 3
gaz
merg
parlando
3
gaz
Soul!
3
3
O
8
the doors, O
3
3
3
8
3
15 119 sempre tranquillo
(Strong
8
is
Night,
sleep,
death
and
the
stars.
sleep,
Night,
sleep,
death
and
the
stars.
sleep,
(trem.)
123
your
8
hold,
O
mor
tal
flesh!
Strong
is
your
death
and
the
stars.
sleep,
death
death
and
the
stars.
sleep,
death
hold,
16 127
O
8
love.)
and
the
stars.
and
the
stars. solo 3
espr.
3
marc.
marc.
marc.
marc.
poco rit. 131 3
cresc.
cresc.
3
cresc.
cresc.
cresc.
3
3
3
3
3
17 Poco meno mosso ( = 66) rit. rubato
135
dim.
dim.
dim.
dim.
dim.
Poco meno mosso ( = 60) rubato, deliberato
138
(dim.)
(dim.)
(dim.)
(dim.)
(dim.)
rit.
141
dim.
dim.
dim. (open) 0 0
dim.
dim.