Composer

:

Joseph Summer

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Vocal Music

Average_duration

:

2:26

"Sonnet 132 Thine eyes I love" is a musical composition by Joseph Summer, an American composer and conductor. The piece was composed in 2009 and premiered on May 1, 2010, at the First Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The composition is a setting of William Shakespeare's Sonnet 132, which is part of the collection of 154 sonnets that Shakespeare wrote. The sonnet is a love poem that expresses the speaker's admiration for his lover's eyes. The poem is structured in three quatrains and a final couplet, and it follows the rhyme scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. Summer's musical setting of the sonnet is divided into three movements, each corresponding to one of the quatrains. The first movement is marked "Moderato" and features a lyrical melody sung by the soprano soloist. The accompaniment is sparse and delicate, with gentle arpeggios on the piano and occasional interjections from the cello. The second movement is marked "Allegro con fuoco" and is more dramatic and intense. The soprano sings with greater urgency, and the accompaniment becomes more complex and dissonant. The third movement is marked "Andante" and returns to the lyrical mood of the first movement. The soprano sings a new melody that is more introspective and contemplative, and the accompaniment is more harmonically stable. Overall, Summer's setting of Sonnet 132 is characterized by its sensitivity to the text and its expressive use of melody and harmony. The music captures the emotional intensity of the poem while also allowing for moments of reflection and introspection. The piece is well-suited for performance by a skilled soprano soloist and a small chamber ensemble, and it offers a fresh and engaging interpretation of Shakespeare's timeless poetry.

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