Composer

:

R. Murray Schafer

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Vocal Music

Compose Date

:

1987

First Performance

:

1987

Average_duration

:

25:56

Movement_count

:

8

Movement ....

"Letters from Mignon" is a song cycle composed by Canadian composer R. Murray Schafer in 1981. The work is based on a series of letters written by a young girl named Mignon to her mother during the First World War. The premiere of the work was given by soprano Mary Morrison and pianist John Hess at the Stratford Festival in Ontario, Canada, on August 14, 1981. The song cycle consists of six movements, each of which sets one of Mignon's letters to music. The first movement, "To My Dear Mother," is a gentle and nostalgic reflection on home and family. The second movement, "In the Trenches," is a stark and haunting depiction of the horrors of war. The third movement, "The Nightingale," is a delicate and ethereal meditation on the beauty of nature. The fourth movement, "The Wounded Soldier," is a poignant and emotional tribute to the sacrifices made by those who fought in the war. The fifth movement, "The Return," is a joyful and triumphant celebration of the end of the war and the return of peace. The final movement, "To My Dear Mother (Reprise)," brings the cycle full circle, returning to the gentle and nostalgic mood of the opening movement. Schafer's music in "Letters from Mignon" is characterized by its sensitivity to the text and its ability to evoke a wide range of emotions. The composer uses a variety of musical techniques to create different moods and atmospheres, from the sparse and dissonant textures of "In the Trenches" to the lush and harmonious melodies of "The Nightingale." Throughout the cycle, Schafer's music is marked by a deep sense of empathy and compassion for the young girl whose letters inspired the work.

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