Composer

:

Ian Venables

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Vocal Music

Compose Date

:

1995

Average_duration

:

15:43

Movement_count

:

4

Movement ....

'Love's Voice, Op. 22' is a song cycle composed by Ian Venables, a British composer, in 1998. The cycle consists of six songs, each with its own unique character and mood, and is set to poems by various poets, including Robert Bridges, Thomas Hardy, and John Clare. The premiere of 'Love's Voice, Op. 22' took place on 22nd October 1998 at the Wigmore Hall in London, with the tenor Andrew Kennedy and the pianist Simon Lepper performing. The cycle has since been performed by various artists and ensembles around the world. The first song in the cycle, 'Love's Voice', is a setting of a poem by Robert Bridges and is characterized by its flowing melody and gentle piano accompaniment. The second song, 'The Night has a Thousand Eyes', is a setting of a poem by Francis William Bourdillon and is more dramatic in character, with a powerful vocal line and a driving piano accompaniment. The third song, 'The Twilight People', is a setting of a poem by Thomas Hardy and is characterized by its haunting melody and sparse piano accompaniment. The fourth song, 'The Invitation to the Gondola', is a setting of a poem by John Clare and is more playful in character, with a lively vocal line and a sparkling piano accompaniment. The fifth song, 'The Hippopotamus', is a setting of a poem by T.S. Eliot and is characterized by its humorous and whimsical character, with a jaunty vocal line and a playful piano accompaniment. The final song in the cycle, 'The Cloths of Heaven', is a setting of a poem by W.B. Yeats and is characterized by its soaring melody and lush piano accompaniment. Overall, 'Love's Voice, Op. 22' is a beautiful and varied song cycle that showcases Ian Venables' skill as a composer and his ability to set a wide range of texts to music. Its premiere in 1998 was well-received, and it has since become a popular work in the repertoire of many vocalists and pianists.

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