Composer

:

Percy Grainger

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Vocal Music

Compose Date

:

1898 - 1947

Average_duration

:

4:30

"The Sea Wife" is a song for voice and piano composed by Percy Grainger in 1907. It was premiered in London on May 14, 1908, with the composer accompanying the singer, the contralto Muriel Foster. The song is part of Grainger's collection of folk song arrangements, which he called "British Folk-Music Settings." "The Sea Wife" is a setting of a traditional English ballad, also known as "The Sailor's Wife," which tells the story of a woman who waits for her husband to return from sea. The song has three movements, each with a different character and tempo. The first movement is marked "Moderato," and it sets the scene with a gentle, flowing melody in the piano and a simple, lyrical vocal line. The second movement is marked "Allegretto," and it introduces a more lively, dance-like rhythm, as the woman imagines her husband's return. The final movement is marked "Lento," and it returns to the gentle, flowing melody of the first movement, as the woman realizes that her husband is lost at sea. Grainger's setting of "The Sea Wife" is notable for its use of folk song elements, such as modal harmonies, irregular phrase lengths, and ornamentation in the vocal line. The piano part is also highly expressive, with sweeping arpeggios and delicate filigree passages. The overall effect is one of melancholy and nostalgia, as the song captures the bittersweet emotions of a woman waiting for her husband's return from a dangerous voyage. Overall, "The Sea Wife" is a beautiful and haunting song that showcases Grainger's skill as a composer and arranger of folk music. Its timeless themes of love, loss, and longing continue to resonate with audiences today.

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