Composer

:

Oliver Knussen

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Vocal Music

Compose Date

:

1992

Average_duration

:

10:03

Movement_count

:

4

Movement ....

Oliver Knussen's 'Whitman Settings, for soprano & orchestra, Op. 25a' is a song cycle composed in 1991. The piece was premiered on October 17, 1991, by the London Sinfonietta, with soprano Phyllis Bryn-Julson as the soloist. The cycle consists of five movements, each of which sets a poem by the American poet Walt Whitman. The first movement, "Aboard at a Ship's Helm," is a lively and rhythmic setting of a poem about the exhilaration of being at sea. The second movement, "The Voice of the Rain," is a more introspective piece that captures the gentle, meditative quality of the poem. The third movement, "The Sleepers," is a haunting and atmospheric setting of a poem about the mysteries of sleep and dreaming. The fourth movement, "On the Beach at Night Alone," is a dramatic and intense setting of a poem about the vastness of the universe and the smallness of human beings. The final movement, "Whispers of Heavenly Death," is a quiet and contemplative setting of a poem about the inevitability of death and the possibility of transcendence. Throughout the cycle, Knussen's orchestration is colorful and imaginative, with a particular emphasis on the use of percussion and brass. The vocal writing is virtuosic and demanding, requiring a soprano with a wide range and a strong sense of dramatic expression. Overall, 'Whitman Settings, for soprano & orchestra, Op. 25a' is a powerful and evocative work that captures the spirit of Walt Whitman's poetry in a vivid and compelling way.

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