Composer

:

Paul Bowles

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Vocal Music

Average_duration

:

2:06

"Heavenly Grass" is a song cycle composed by American composer and writer Paul Bowles. The cycle was composed in 1947 and premiered in New York City in 1949. The cycle consists of six movements, each of which sets a poem by a different author. The first movement, "Heavenly Grass," sets a poem by Tennessee Williams. The music is slow and dreamy, with a haunting melody that evokes the ethereal quality of the poem's imagery. The second movement, "Cabin," sets a poem by Langston Hughes. The music is more rhythmic and upbeat, with a jazzy feel that reflects the poem's urban setting. The third movement, "Lonesome Man," sets a poem by William Carlos Williams. The music is spare and contemplative, with a simple melody that underscores the poem's sense of isolation and longing. The fourth movement, "Crazy Face," sets a poem by Gertrude Stein. The music is playful and whimsical, with a syncopated rhythm that reflects the poem's nonsense language. The fifth movement, "Jilala," sets a poem by Bowles himself. The music is exotic and mysterious, with a hypnotic melody that evokes the trance-like state of the poem's Sufi mystics. The final movement, "Lullaby," sets a poem by W.H. Auden. The music is gentle and soothing, with a lullaby-like melody that reflects the poem's theme of comfort and reassurance. Overall, "Heavenly Grass" is a haunting and evocative song cycle that showcases Bowles' skill as a composer and his sensitivity to the nuances of poetry. The cycle's diverse range of styles and moods reflects the varied voices of the poets whose work it sets, while Bowles' distinctive musical language ties the movements together into a cohesive whole.

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