Composer

:

Dominick Argento

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Vocal Music

Compose Date

:

1962

Average_duration

:

16:20

Movement_count

:

6

Movement ....

Dominick Argento's 'Elizabethan Songs (6)' is a song cycle composed in 1958 for voice and piano. The cycle was premiered on May 4, 1958, at the Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. The six songs in the cycle are settings of poems by various Elizabethan poets, including William Shakespeare, Thomas Campion, and John Dowland. The first song, "Spring," is a lively and joyful celebration of the season, with a bouncy piano accompaniment and a playful vocal melody. The second song, "Sleep," is a more subdued and introspective piece, with a haunting piano accompaniment and a melancholy vocal line. The third song, "Diaphenia," is a tender and romantic piece, with a flowing piano accompaniment and a soaring vocal melody. The fourth song, "Weep You No More," is a mournful and melancholy piece, with a slow and mournful piano accompaniment and a sorrowful vocal line. The fifth song, "Come Away, Death," is a haunting and eerie piece, with a sparse and dissonant piano accompaniment and a mournful vocal melody. The final song, "Hark! Hark! The Lark," is a joyful and celebratory piece, with a lively piano accompaniment and a soaring vocal melody. Overall, 'Elizabethan Songs (6)' is a beautiful and varied song cycle that showcases Argento's skill as a composer and his ability to capture the mood and tone of the Elizabethan era. The cycle is characterized by its rich harmonies, expressive melodies, and evocative piano accompaniments, which work together to create a vivid and compelling musical experience.

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