Composer

:

Lee Hoiby

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Vocal Music

Average_duration

:

2:46

Winter Song: The Browns, the Olives, and the Yellows Died is a song cycle composed by Lee Hoiby in 1971. The cycle consists of five movements, each of which sets a poem by a different poet. The premiere of the cycle was given by soprano Phyllis Bryn-Julson and pianist Donald Sutherland in 1972. The first movement, "Winter Song," sets a poem by Wilfred Owen. The music is spare and haunting, with a simple piano accompaniment that underscores the bleakness of the text. The second movement, "The Browns," sets a poem by Robert Creeley. The music is more lively and playful, with a syncopated piano accompaniment that reflects the whimsical nature of the text. The third movement, "The Olives," sets a poem by Lawrence Ferlinghetti. The music is more contemplative, with a flowing piano accompaniment that evokes the peacefulness of the olive groves. The fourth movement, "The Yellows Died," sets a poem by Theodore Roethke. The music is more intense, with a driving piano accompaniment that reflects the urgency of the text. The final movement, "The Snow Man," sets a poem by Wallace Stevens. The music is spare and ethereal, with a delicate piano accompaniment that evokes the stillness of a winter landscape. The cycle as a whole is characterized by Hoiby's sensitive and nuanced settings of the texts, which capture the emotional depth and complexity of the poems. The music is often spare and understated, allowing the words to speak for themselves, but it is also capable of great intensity and power when called for. Overall, Winter Song: The Browns, the Olives, and the Yellows Died is a masterful example of the art of the song cycle, and a testament to Hoiby's skill as a composer.

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