Composer

:

Irena Regina Poldowski

Genre

:

Vocal

Average_duration

:

2:41

"En sourdine" is a song composed by Irena Regina Poldowski, a Polish-British composer and pianist. The song was composed in 1917 and premiered in the same year. It is a part of a song cycle called "La Fraîcheur et le Feu" (The Freshness and the Fire), which consists of six songs. "En sourdine" is the fourth song in the cycle and is based on a poem by Paul Verlaine. The song is written for a solo voice and piano accompaniment. It is a slow and melancholic piece that captures the mood of the poem. The song is in the key of F-sharp minor and has a time signature of 4/4. The song has three distinct sections. The first section is marked "Très doux et rêveur" (very sweet and dreamy) and is characterized by a gentle and flowing melody in the piano. The vocal line is also soft and lyrical, with the singer using a lot of vibrato to create a sense of longing and sadness. The second section is marked "Plus animé" (more animated) and is more intense than the first section. The piano accompaniment becomes more complex, with the left hand playing a series of arpeggios while the right hand plays a melody that is more forceful and dramatic. The vocal line also becomes more powerful, with the singer using a wider range of dynamics to convey the emotion of the text. The final section is marked "Très calme" (very calm) and returns to the gentle and dreamy mood of the first section. The piano accompaniment becomes simpler, with the left hand playing a series of chords while the right hand plays a simple melody. The vocal line is also softer and more restrained, with the singer using a lot of breath control to create a sense of stillness and peace. Overall, "En sourdine" is a beautiful and haunting song that captures the mood of Verlaine's poem perfectly. It is a testament to Poldowski's skill as a composer and her ability to create music that is both emotionally powerful and musically sophisticated.

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