Composer

:

Amy Beach

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Vocal Music

Publication Date

:

1897

Average_duration

:

1:43

"Take, O Take Those Lips Away, Op. 37/2" is a song composed by Amy Beach, an American composer and pianist. The song was composed in 1893 and premiered the same year. It is part of a set of three songs, Op. 37, which were all composed in the same year. The song is written for voice and piano and has a duration of approximately two minutes. It is a setting of a text by William Shakespeare, taken from his play "Measure for Measure". The text speaks of the fleeting nature of love and the transience of beauty. The song is in a slow tempo and is marked "Andante con moto". It is in the key of F major and has a simple, lyrical melody. The piano accompaniment is delicate and supportive, with arpeggiated chords and gentle figurations. The song is characterized by its expressive melody and sensitive text setting. Beach's use of chromaticism and subtle harmonic shifts adds depth and complexity to the simple melody. The song is also notable for its use of word painting, with the music reflecting the meaning of the text. Overall, "Take, O Take Those Lips Away, Op. 37/2" is a beautiful and poignant song that showcases Beach's skill as a composer and her sensitivity to text. It is a testament to her place as one of the most important American composers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

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