Composer

:

Lennox Berkeley

Genre

:

Choral

Style

:

Choral

Compose Date

:

1953

Average_duration

:

2:59

"Spring at This Hour, Op. 37/2" is a vocal composition by Lennox Berkeley, a British composer who was born in 1903 and died in 1989. The piece was composed in 1953 and premiered in the same year. It is part of a larger collection of songs called "Five Poems by W.H. Auden," which was commissioned by the Arts Council of Great Britain. The composition consists of a single movement and is written for a solo voice and piano accompaniment. The text is a poem by W.H. Auden, which describes the arrival of spring and the renewal of life that it brings. The music is characterized by its lyrical melodies, lush harmonies, and expressive use of dynamics. The piece begins with a gentle piano introduction, which sets the mood for the poem's opening lines: "Spring at this hour, when earth and all / The air are stirred with life." The vocal line enters with a simple melody, which gradually builds in intensity as the poem progresses. The piano accompaniment provides a rich harmonic backdrop, with frequent use of arpeggios and rolling chords. As the poem reaches its climax, the music becomes more dramatic, with the vocal line soaring to its highest notes and the piano accompaniment becoming more forceful. The final lines of the poem are set to a quiet, reflective melody, which gradually fades away to a peaceful conclusion. Overall, "Spring at This Hour, Op. 37/2" is a beautiful and evocative piece of music, which captures the spirit of Auden's poem with sensitivity and grace. Its lush harmonies and expressive melodies make it a favorite among singers and audiences alike.

More....