Composer

:

William Bolcom

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Song: Art Song

Average_duration

:

21:57

Movement_count

:

11

Movement ....

"I Will Breathe a Mountain" is a song cycle composed by William Bolcom, an American composer, pianist, and professor of music. The cycle was composed in 1977 and premiered on April 23, 1978, at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The cycle consists of six movements, each with its own unique characteristics. The first movement, "I Will Breathe a Mountain," is a setting of a poem by Emily Dickinson. The music is characterized by a driving rhythm and a sense of urgency, reflecting the poem's theme of determination and perseverance. The second movement, "The Wind Sings Welcome in Early Spring," is a setting of a poem by Robert Louis Stevenson. The music is light and playful, with a sense of joy and anticipation that reflects the poem's celebration of the arrival of spring. The third movement, "The Serpent," is a setting of a poem by Theodore Roethke. The music is dark and brooding, with a sense of foreboding that reflects the poem's theme of danger and temptation. The fourth movement, "The Dreamer," is a setting of a poem by Langston Hughes. The music is dreamy and ethereal, with a sense of longing and nostalgia that reflects the poem's theme of the power of imagination. The fifth movement, "The Mask," is a setting of a poem by W. B. Yeats. The music is mysterious and haunting, with a sense of unease and uncertainty that reflects the poem's theme of the hidden self. The final movement, "The Actor," is a setting of a poem by William Butler Yeats. The music is dramatic and intense, with a sense of passion and urgency that reflects the poem's theme of the power of performance. Overall, "I Will Breathe a Mountain" is a powerful and evocative song cycle that showcases Bolcom's skill as a composer and his ability to capture the essence of each poem in his music.

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