Composer

:

André Previn

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Vocal Music

Compose Date

:

1999

Average_duration

:

6:56

Movement_count

:

3

Movement ....

André Previn's "Three Dickinson Songs" is a song cycle composed in 1994, with a premiere performance by soprano Renée Fleming and the composer himself on piano. The cycle consists of three movements, each setting a poem by the American poet Emily Dickinson. The first movement, "Nature, the gentlest mother," is a gentle and flowing setting of Dickinson's poem about the nurturing qualities of nature. Previn's music captures the peacefulness of the natural world with its lilting melody and delicate piano accompaniment. The second movement, "There came a wind like a bugle," is a more dramatic and intense setting of Dickinson's poem about a storm. Previn's music is full of energy and tension, with the piano providing a driving rhythm and the soprano soaring above with powerful vocal lines. The final movement, "I felt a funeral in my brain," is a haunting and introspective setting of Dickinson's poem about the experience of mental breakdown. Previn's music is spare and atmospheric, with the piano providing a haunting backdrop for the soprano's haunting vocal lines. Throughout the cycle, Previn's music is sensitive to the nuances of Dickinson's poetry, capturing the beauty and complexity of her language with his own expressive musical language. The result is a powerful and moving work that showcases the talents of both composer and performer.

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