Composer

:

Ricky Ian Gordon

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Vocal Music

Average_duration

:

1:18

"Heaven" is a song cycle composed by Ricky Ian Gordon, an American composer known for his vocal music. The cycle was composed in 2003 and premiered on October 26, 2003, at the Lincoln Center in New York City. The cycle consists of 14 songs, each of which explores the theme of heaven in a different way. The first movement, "Heaven," sets the tone for the cycle with a soaring melody and lyrics that describe the beauty and peace of heaven. The second movement, "The Red Dress," is a haunting ballad about a woman who died too young and is now in heaven. The third movement, "The Fisherman," is a lively and playful song about a man who loves to fish and imagines that heaven is a perfect fishing spot. The fourth movement, "The House on the Hill," is a melancholy song about a woman who longs to be reunited with her loved ones in heaven. The fifth movement, "The Lake Isle of Innisfree," is a setting of the famous poem by W.B. Yeats, which describes a peaceful and idyllic place that the speaker longs to visit. The sixth movement, "The Spring and the Fall," is a poignant song about the passage of time and the inevitability of death. The seventh movement, "The Lake," is a haunting and atmospheric song that evokes the stillness and mystery of a lake at night. The eighth movement, "The Dream Keeper," is a setting of the poem by Langston Hughes, which describes a dream keeper who protects the dreams of children. The ninth movement, "The House on the Hill (Reprise)," is a reprise of the fourth movement, with a slightly different melody and lyrics. The tenth movement, "The Garden," is a lush and romantic song about a garden in heaven. The eleventh movement, "The Light in the Piazza," is a setting of the title song from the musical of the same name, which tells the story of a mother and daughter who travel to Italy and experience a moment of transcendent beauty. The twelfth movement, "The Lake (Reprise)," is a reprise of the seventh movement, with a slightly different melody and lyrics. The thirteenth movement, "The House on the Hill (Reprise 2)," is a reprise of the fourth movement, with a different melody and lyrics that emphasize the idea of reunion in heaven. The final movement, "Heaven (Reprise)," is a reprise of the first movement, with a slightly different melody and lyrics that emphasize the idea of eternal peace and rest. Overall, "Heaven" is a beautiful and moving cycle that explores the many facets of the idea of heaven, from its beauty and peace to its mystery and transcendence.

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