ABC of American Art Song
Melanie Duncan blitzed the 1999 Mietta Song Recital Award, taking the Popular Choice award and the Musical Partnership with accompanist Claire Cooper as well as the Award itself. This is her recital of twentieth-century American art song.
Samuel Barber composer
Aaron Copland composer
Thomas Nash songwriter
Samuel Daniel songwriter
William Shakespeare songwriter
Henry Constable songwriter
Ben Jonson songwriter
Rainer Maria Rilke songwriter
Emily Dickinson songwriter
Her attractive coloratura voice brings out the beauty of Dominick Argento’s Six Elizabethan Songs, the lyricism of Samuel Barber’s French Mélodies passagères, and the drama of Aaron Copland’s Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson.
Her Copland performance captivated the judging panel in the Award’s final recital.
I think that music … began as an emotional language. For me, all music begins where speech stops.
When I’m writing music for words, then I immerse myself in those words and I let the music flow out of them.
These 12 songs were composed during the period from March 1949 to March 1950. The poems centre about no single theme, but they treat of subject matter close to Miss Dickinson: nature, death, life, eternity. The 12 songs are dedicated to 12 composer friends.
Artists
Aaron Copland
Aaron Copland wrote the open, slowly shifting harmonies many still hear as the sound of American music. His vernacular style of the 1930s and 1940s gave ballet, song and chamber works a plain-spoken clarity that reaches from folk song to fanfare.
Samuel Barber
Samuel Barber's scores favour long melodic lines and traditional harmony over mid-century experiment. His catalogue ranges from the Adagio for Strings and its choral Agnus Dei to French art songs and an early Cello Sonata of strong, clear ideas.
Melanie Duncan
Melanie Duncan is a first-class Honours graduate of the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, and is currently completing a Masters at Monash University on a Monash Postgraduate Scholarship. She has been a semi-finalist in several competitions, including the 1997, 1998 Marianne Mathy Awards, and the 1998 Herald Sun Aria and Australian Youth Aria.
Claire Cooper
Claire Cooper studied with John Winther at the Canberra School of Music and later at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. She spent five years as répétiteur and accompanist at the Victorian College of the Arts and joined the Faculty of Music at the University of Melbourne as an accompanist.
Audio previews
Tracks
- Spring 1:37
- Sleep 3:23
- Winter 1:42
- Dirge 3:34
- Diaphenia 2:03
- Hymn 3:59
- Puisque tout passe 1:33
- Un cygne 2:09
- Tombeau dans un parc 1:59
- Le clocher chante 1:15
- Départ 2:00
- Nature, the gentlest mother 4:02
- There came a wind like a bugle 1:36
- Why do they shut me out of Heaven! 2:26
- The world feels dusty 1:52
- Heart, we will forget him 2:32
- Dear March, come in! 2:13
- Sleep is supposed to be 2:57
- When they come back 2:08
- I felt a funeral in my brain 2:24
- I've heard an organ talk sometimes 2:08
- Going to Heaven! 2:38
- The chariot 3:21
Six Elizabethan Songs Dominick Argento Thomas Nash
Mélodies passagères, Op. 27 Samuel Barber Rainer Maria Rilke
Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson Aaron Copland Emily Dickinson
Performers
- Melanie Duncan
- Claire Cooper · pianoforte
Composers
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare's sonnets and the songs embedded in his plays remain living lyric for composers. On these recordings his words surface in art song, lieder and choral settings that still carry love, wit, jealousy and foolery.
Henry Constable
Henry Constable wrote Elizabethan love sonnets and spiritual lyrics whose fervour and richness of colour have drawn composers to set them. Diana remains one of the earliest English sonnet sequences.
Where to listen
ABC of American Art Song is available for streaming through Apple Music. It can also be purchased through the iTunes Music Store.
ABC of American Art Song is available as a CD. It can be purchased online through Buywell Music or the Australian Music Centre which both offer online ordering.
Product details
- Catalogue number
- MD 3212
- List price
- $25.00 AUD
- Total playing time
- 55 minutes 31 seconds
- Contributor
- Anna Connolly
Denise Shepherd
Dr Carol Williams
Martin Wright - Recording Engineer
- Thomas Grubb
- Editing Engineer
- Thomas Grubb
- Mastering Engineer
- Vaughan McAlley
- Venue
- Move Records Studio
- Thanks to
- City of Melbourne
Song Recital Award - Release date
- 1999
- Musical work
copyright - © 1999 Move Records
- Sound recording
copyright - ℗ 1999 Move Records
- Categories
- Classical, Vocal
- Genres
- Vocal & Opera, Contemporary Classical
- Barcode
- EAN 9314574321227
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