Composer

:

Theodore Chanler

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Vocal Music

Compose Date

:

1934

Average_duration

:

1:44

Memory is a song cycle composed by Theodore Chanler, an American composer, in 1948. The cycle consists of five movements, each of which is a setting of a poem by a different author. The premiere of Memory took place on March 3, 1949, at the Town Hall in New York City, with the composer himself accompanying the singer. The first movement, "The Return," sets a poem by Robert Graves. It is a nostalgic and wistful piece, with a gentle and flowing melody that evokes the sense of longing for a lost love. The second movement, "The Dream," sets a poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay. It is a more dramatic and intense piece, with a haunting melody that captures the eerie and unsettling quality of the dream described in the poem. The third movement, "The River-Merchant's Wife: A Letter," sets a poem by Ezra Pound. It is a delicate and introspective piece, with a simple and understated melody that perfectly captures the quiet and contemplative mood of the poem. The fourth movement, "The Sick Rose," sets a poem by William Blake. It is a dark and brooding piece, with a dissonant and unsettling melody that perfectly captures the ominous and foreboding mood of the poem. The final movement, "The Garden," sets a poem by Andrew Marvell. It is a joyful and exuberant piece, with a lively and energetic melody that perfectly captures the sense of celebration and delight described in the poem. Throughout the cycle, Chanler's music is characterized by its sensitivity to the text, its expressive melodies, and its skillful use of harmony and rhythm to create a rich and evocative musical landscape.

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