Composer

:

Ivor Gurney

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Song: Art Song

Average_duration

:

2:56

Even Such is Time is a song cycle composed by Ivor Gurney, a British composer and poet, in 1921. The cycle consists of five movements, each of which sets a poem by a different poet. The premiere of the cycle took place in London in 1921, with Gurney himself accompanying the singer. The first movement, "Even Such is Time," sets a poem by Sir Walter Raleigh. The music is characterized by a flowing, lyrical melody in the piano, which is accompanied by a simple, yet expressive vocal line. The second movement, "The Fields are Full," sets a poem by Edward Thomas. The music is more introspective and melancholic, with a haunting melody in the piano and a plaintive vocal line. The third movement, "In Flanders," sets a poem by John McCrae. The music is somber and mournful, with a slow, dirge-like melody in the piano and a solemn vocal line. The fourth movement, "By a Bierside," sets a poem by William Ernest Henley. The music is more hopeful and uplifting, with a brighter melody in the piano and a more optimistic vocal line. The final movement, "Since I Believe in God the Father Almighty," sets a poem by Francis Thompson. The music is grand and majestic, with a powerful melody in the piano and a soaring vocal line. The cycle as a whole is characterized by its emotional depth and expressive power, as well as its skillful use of melody and harmony to convey the meaning and mood of the poems.

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