Composer

:

Frank Bridge

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Vocal Music

Compose Date

:

1922 - 1925

Frank Bridge's 'Songs (3) for mezzo-soprano & piano, H 164' is a collection of three songs composed in 1913. The premiere of the work took place on 10th December 1913 at the Aeolian Hall in London, with the composer himself accompanying the mezzo-soprano, Muriel Foster. The first song, 'Far, far from each other', is a setting of a poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley. The music is characterized by a gentle, flowing melody in the piano, which is accompanied by a simple, yet expressive vocal line. The song is in a slow tempo and has a melancholic mood, reflecting the poem's theme of separation and longing. The second song, 'Where is it that our soul doth go?', is a setting of a poem by Robert Bridges. The music is more complex than the first song, with a more intricate piano accompaniment and a more varied vocal line. The song is in a moderate tempo and has a contemplative mood, reflecting the poem's theme of the afterlife and the mysteries of the soul. The third and final song, 'Music when soft voices die', is a setting of a poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley. The music is characterized by a delicate, ethereal quality, with a gentle piano accompaniment and a soaring vocal line. The song is in a slow tempo and has a dreamy, otherworldly mood, reflecting the poem's theme of the power of music to transcend death and bring solace to the soul. Overall, 'Songs (3) for mezzo-soprano & piano, H 164' is a beautiful and expressive work that showcases Frank Bridge's skill as a composer of art songs. The music is characterized by a lyrical and expressive vocal line, supported by a sensitive and nuanced piano accompaniment. The songs are united by a common theme of the mysteries of the soul and the power of music to transcend earthly limitations.

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