Composer

:

Ned Rorem

Genre

:

Chamber

Style

:

Chamber Music

Compose Date

:

1985

First Performance

:

Mar 26, 1986

Average_duration

:

20:34

Movement_count

:

3

Movement ....

"The End of Summer" is a song cycle composed by Ned Rorem in 1985. The premiere of the work was given by soprano Benita Valente and pianist Rudolf Serkin at the Marlboro Music Festival in Vermont on August 4, 1985. The cycle consists of eight songs, each with its own unique character and mood. The first song, "The End of Summer," sets the tone for the cycle with its melancholic and reflective mood. The second song, "The Silver Swan," is a setting of a poem by Orlando Gibbons and features a flowing piano accompaniment that evokes the movement of water. The third song, "The Nightingale," is a lively and playful setting of a poem by Thomas Nashe, featuring intricate piano passages and vocal acrobatics. The fourth song, "The Shepherd's Complaint," is a mournful setting of a poem by William Drummond, featuring a simple and repetitive piano accompaniment that underscores the plaintive nature of the text. The fifth song, "The Ungrateful Lover," is a setting of a poem by John Donne and features a complex and dissonant piano accompaniment that reflects the bitterness of the text. The sixth song, "The Soldier," is a setting of a poem by Rupert Brooke and features a driving and martial piano accompaniment that evokes the sound of marching. The seventh song, "The Love Letter," is a setting of a poem by Robert Burns and features a tender and lyrical piano accompaniment that underscores the intimacy of the text. The final song, "The End," brings the cycle full circle with a return to the melancholic and reflective mood of the opening song. The piano accompaniment is spare and haunting, underscoring the finality of the text. Overall, "The End of Summer" is a masterful work that showcases Rorem's skill as a composer and his ability to capture a wide range of moods and emotions through his music. The cycle is a testament to the enduring power of the art song and a fitting tribute to the poets whose words inspired Rorem's music.

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