Composer

:

Carl Nielsen

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Song

Compose Date

:

1916

Average_duration

:

2:45

'Ariel's Song, FS 80' is a vocal work composed by the Danish composer Carl Nielsen. The piece was composed in 1912 and premiered on 28th November of the same year in Copenhagen. The work is a setting of a text from William Shakespeare's play 'The Tempest', specifically the character Ariel's song from Act I, Scene 2. The piece is a solo song for a high voice, accompanied by piano. It is a short work, lasting only around two minutes in performance. The vocal line is characterized by its soaring, lyrical quality, with long phrases and wide intervals. The piano accompaniment is relatively simple, providing a gentle, flowing backdrop to the vocal line. The text of the song is a celebration of the natural world, with Ariel singing of the beauty of the sea, the sky, and the earth. The lyrics are full of vivid imagery, with Ariel describing the "sea-nymphs hourly ring his knell" and the "green sour ringlets" of the sea. The overall effect is one of wonder and awe at the power and majesty of nature. Despite its relatively simple structure and short length, 'Ariel's Song' is a powerful and evocative work. Nielsen's setting of Shakespeare's text captures the beauty and mystery of the natural world, and the soaring vocal line and gentle piano accompaniment combine to create a haunting and memorable piece of music.

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