Composer

:

Peter Dickinson

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Vocal Music

Average_duration

:

2:44

Peter Dickinson's 'Four W. H. Auden Songs: No. 1, Look, Stranger on this island now' is a song cycle composed in 1965. The premiere of the song cycle took place on 22nd November 1965 at the Wigmore Hall in London. The song cycle consists of four movements, with each movement being a setting of a poem by W. H. Auden. The first movement, 'Look, Stranger on this island now', is a setting of Auden's poem of the same name. The poem is a meditation on the nature of isolation and the human condition. Dickinson's setting of the poem is characterized by its sparse, haunting melody and its use of dissonance to create a sense of unease and tension. The piano accompaniment is also sparse, with the use of open fifths and octaves creating a sense of emptiness and isolation. The second movement, 'O What is that Sound', is a setting of Auden's poem about a woman who hears a terrifying sound in the night. Dickinson's setting of the poem is characterized by its use of dissonance and its dramatic shifts in dynamics, which create a sense of fear and unease. The third movement, 'Lullaby', is a setting of Auden's poem about a mother singing a lullaby to her child. Dickinson's setting of the poem is characterized by its gentle, lilting melody and its use of simple harmonies, which create a sense of warmth and comfort. The final movement, 'As I Walked Out One Evening', is a setting of Auden's poem about the nature of love and the passing of time. Dickinson's setting of the poem is characterized by its use of shifting harmonies and its dramatic shifts in dynamics, which create a sense of the passage of time and the inevitability of change. Overall, 'Four W. H. Auden Songs: No. 1, Look, Stranger on this island now' is a haunting and evocative song cycle that captures the essence of Auden's poetry. Dickinson's use of dissonance, sparse melodies, and shifting harmonies creates a sense of unease and tension, while his use of simple harmonies and gentle melodies creates a sense of warmth and comfort. The song cycle is a testament to the power of poetry and music to evoke emotion and capture the human experience.

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