Composer

:

Jake Heggie

Genre

:

Vocal

Compose Date

:

2014

First Performance

:

August 12, 2014

Average_duration

:

11:59

Movement_count

:

5

Movement ....

"Newer Every Day: Songs for Kiri" is a song cycle composed by Jake Heggie in 2014. The piece was premiered on January 11, 2015, at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, with mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade and pianist Jake Heggie performing. The song cycle consists of 12 songs, each based on a poem by a different poet, including Emily Dickinson, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and Walt Whitman. The first movement, "Newer Every Day," is based on a poem by Emily Dickinson and sets the tone for the entire cycle. The song is characterized by its flowing piano accompaniment and soaring vocal line, which captures the sense of wonder and discovery expressed in the poem. The second movement, "The Moon's the North Wind's Cooky," is based on a poem by Vachel Lindsay and features a playful, syncopated piano accompaniment that evokes the whimsical nature of the poem. Other movements in the cycle include "The Lake Isle of Innisfree" by W.B. Yeats, "The White Rose" by John Boyle O'Reilly, and "The Nightingale" by Thomas Hardy. Each song is characterized by its unique musical language, which is tailored to the mood and tone of the poem. Heggie's use of melody, harmony, and rhythm is masterful, and he creates a seamless blend of voice and piano throughout the cycle. Overall, "Newer Every Day: Songs for Kiri" is a stunning work that showcases Heggie's skill as a composer and his ability to capture the essence of a poem in music. The cycle is a fitting tribute to the legendary soprano Kiri Te Kanawa, for whom the piece was commissioned, and it stands as a testament to the enduring power of poetry and music.

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