Composer

:

Ralph Vaughan Williams

Genre

:

Choral

Style

:

Choral

Average_duration

:

3:39

'Come Away Death' is a song composed by Ralph Vaughan Williams, an English composer, in 1909. The song is based on a text from William Shakespeare's play 'Twelfth Night'. It was premiered in 1910 at a concert in London, where it was performed by the contralto Muriel Foster. The song is part of a larger work called 'Three Shakespeare Songs', which Vaughan Williams composed in 1909. The other two songs in the set are 'Full Fathom Five' and 'The Cloud-Capp'd Towers'. All three songs are settings of texts from Shakespeare's plays. 'Come Away Death' is a slow and melancholy song, with a haunting melody and a simple piano accompaniment. The song is in the key of F minor and is written in a simple ABA form. The first section of the song is in a slow and mournful tempo, while the middle section is more animated and features a faster tempo and a more complex piano accompaniment. The final section returns to the slow and mournful tempo of the opening. The song's text is taken from Act II, Scene IV of 'Twelfth Night', where the character Feste sings a song to the Duke Orsino. The lyrics describe a man who is so in love with a woman that he wishes to die and be buried in her arms. The song's title, 'Come Away Death', refers to the man's desire to escape from the pain of his unrequited love. Overall, 'Come Away Death' is a beautiful and poignant song that captures the melancholy mood of Shakespeare's play. Its haunting melody and simple piano accompaniment make it a popular choice for singers and pianists alike.

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