Composer

:

William Walton

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Vocal Music

Compose Date

:

1959

Average_duration

:

11:48

Movement_count

:

6

Movement ....

"Anon in Love" is a song cycle composed by William Walton in 1959. The premiere of the work was given by the tenor Peter Pears and the pianist Benjamin Britten at the Aldeburgh Festival in June of that year. The cycle consists of five songs, each of which sets a different anonymous text from the 16th and 17th centuries. The first song, "Tired", is a melancholy reflection on the weariness of love. The piano accompaniment is spare and haunting, with a repeated figure that suggests the weariness of the narrator. The second song, "The Lover's Ghost", is a ghost story in which a dead lover returns to haunt his former beloved. The piano accompaniment is more lively and playful, with a jaunty rhythm that suggests the mischievousness of the ghost. The third song, "Sigh no more, ladies", is a setting of a text from Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing". The piano accompaniment is light and airy, with a lilting rhythm that suggests the playful nature of the text. The fourth song, "My love in her attire", is a celebration of the beauty of the narrator's beloved. The piano accompaniment is lush and romantic, with sweeping arpeggios that suggest the grandeur of the narrator's feelings. The final song, "Give me my lute", is a plea for the narrator's beloved to return to him. The piano accompaniment is lively and energetic, with a driving rhythm that suggests the urgency of the narrator's desire. Throughout the cycle, Walton's music is characterized by its sensitivity to the nuances of the text, as well as its ability to evoke a wide range of emotions. The cycle is a testament to Walton's skill as a composer of vocal music, and remains a beloved work in the repertoire of many singers and pianists.

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