Composer

:

Charles Wakefield Cadman

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Vocal Music

Compose Date

:

1909

Four American Indian Songs, Op. 45 is a song cycle composed by Charles Wakefield Cadman in 1918. The premiere of the song cycle was held on January 23, 1919, in New York City. The cycle consists of four movements, each based on a traditional Native American melody. The first movement, "From the Land of the Sky-Blue Water," is based on a melody from the Winnebago tribe. The melody is characterized by its flowing, lyrical quality, which Cadman enhances with his use of lush harmonies and sweeping melodic lines. The song tells the story of a young brave who falls in love with a maiden by the sky-blue water. The second movement, "The White Dawn is Stealing," is based on a melody from the Omaha tribe. The melody is characterized by its haunting, mournful quality, which Cadman enhances with his use of dissonant harmonies and sparse, angular melodic lines. The song tells the story of a young brave who mourns the loss of his love. The third movement, "From the Land of the Ojibways," is based on a melody from the Ojibway tribe. The melody is characterized by its rhythmic, dance-like quality, which Cadman enhances with his use of syncopated rhythms and lively melodic lines. The song tells the story of a young brave who courts a maiden with his singing and dancing. The fourth movement, "The Moon Drops Low," is based on a melody from the Navajo tribe. The melody is characterized by its gentle, lullaby-like quality, which Cadman enhances with his use of soft, delicate harmonies and simple, flowing melodic lines. The song tells the story of a mother who sings her child to sleep under the moonlit sky. Overall, Four American Indian Songs, Op. 45 is a beautiful and evocative song cycle that showcases Cadman's skill at adapting traditional Native American melodies into art songs. The cycle is notable for its lush harmonies, sweeping melodic lines, and vivid storytelling, which transport listeners to a world of natural beauty and spiritual depth.

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