Composer

:

John Woods Duke

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Vocal Music

Compose Date

:

1949

Average_duration

:

1:45

'Just-Spring' is a song cycle composed by John Woods Duke, an American composer and pianist. The cycle was composed in 1957 and premiered in the same year. It consists of five movements, each of which sets a poem by a different poet. The cycle is scored for voice and piano. The first movement, 'In Just', sets a poem by e.e. cummings. The music is light and playful, reflecting the whimsical nature of the poem. The vocal line is characterized by wide leaps and syncopated rhythms, which add to the sense of playfulness. The second movement, 'Spring is like a perhaps hand', sets a poem by cummings as well. The music is more introspective than the first movement, with a slower tempo and more sustained vocal lines. The piano accompaniment is sparse, with simple chords that provide a gentle support for the voice. The third movement, 'Spring', sets a poem by Gerard Manley Hopkins. The music is more complex than the previous movements, with a more intricate piano accompaniment and a vocal line that is more declamatory in nature. The music reflects the intensity of the poem, which celebrates the arrival of spring. The fourth movement, 'Loveliest of Trees', sets a poem by A.E. Housman. The music is simple and lyrical, with a flowing piano accompaniment that supports the vocal line. The vocal line is characterized by long, sustained notes that reflect the contemplative nature of the poem. The final movement, 'When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd', sets a poem by Walt Whitman. The music is somber and reflective, with a slow tempo and a mournful vocal line. The piano accompaniment is sparse, with simple chords that provide a gentle support for the voice. The music reflects the elegiac nature of the poem, which mourns the death of Abraham Lincoln. Overall, 'Just-Spring' is a beautiful and evocative song cycle that captures the essence of spring through the words of some of the greatest poets of the English language. The music is characterized by its simplicity and lyricism, which allow the words to shine through and speak to the listener.

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