Composer

:

Lee Hoiby

Genre

:

Choral

Style

:

Choral

Average_duration

:

3:49

Lee Hoiby's "The Call" is a song cycle for soprano and piano, composed in 1985. The work was premiered on October 20, 1985, at the 92nd Street Y in New York City, with soprano Phyllis Bryn-Julson and pianist Donald Sutherland. The cycle consists of six movements, each setting a different poem by Emily Dickinson. The first movement, "The Soul selects her own Society," is a lively and rhythmic setting of a poem about the power of the individual to choose her own companions. The second movement, "I'm Nobody! Who are you?" is a playful and humorous setting of a poem about the joys of anonymity. The third movement, "I taste a liquor never brewed," is a dreamy and ethereal setting of a poem about the intoxicating power of nature. The fourth movement, "There's a certain Slant of light," is a haunting and introspective setting of a poem about the melancholy of winter. The fifth movement, "Because I could not stop for Death," is a serene and contemplative setting of a poem about the inevitability of death. The final movement, "This is my letter to the World," is a triumphant and exultant setting of a poem about the power of the written word. Hoiby's settings of Dickinson's poetry are characterized by their sensitivity to the text and their lyrical and expressive melodies. The piano accompaniments are often virtuosic and colorful, providing a rich and varied backdrop for the soprano's voice. The cycle as a whole is a testament to Hoiby's skill as a composer of vocal music, and to Dickinson's enduring power as a poet.

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