Composer

:

Ruth Crawford Seeger

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Song Cycle

Compose Date

:

1930 - 1932

Publication Date

:

1933

First Performance

:

Jun 14, 1933

Average_duration

:

8:51

Movement_count

:

3

Movement ....

Ruth Crawford Seeger's 'Three Songs on Poems by Carl Sandburg' is a composition for voice and piano, composed in 1928. The piece was premiered in New York City in 1929, with the composer herself at the piano and the soprano Martha Lipton as the vocalist. The three movements of the piece are titled 'Cool Tombs', 'White Moon' and 'To a Dead Man'. Each movement sets a poem by the American poet Carl Sandburg to music. The first movement, 'Cool Tombs', is a haunting and eerie setting of Sandburg's poem about the graves of soldiers. The piano part is sparse and dissonant, creating a sense of unease and tension. The vocal line is angular and jagged, with wide leaps and unexpected intervals. The overall effect is one of starkness and desolation. The second movement, 'White Moon', is a more lyrical and flowing setting of Sandburg's poem about the moon. The piano part is more melodic and harmonically rich, with a gentle rocking rhythm. The vocal line is more legato and expressive, with long phrases and a sense of yearning. The overall effect is one of beauty and serenity. The third movement, 'To a Dead Man', is a mournful and elegiac setting of Sandburg's poem about death. The piano part is slow and somber, with a simple melody and a sense of resignation. The vocal line is similarly restrained, with a sense of sadness and loss. The overall effect is one of solemnity and reverence. Overall, 'Three Songs on Poems by Carl Sandburg' is a powerful and evocative work that showcases Ruth Crawford Seeger's unique style and sensitivity as a composer. The piece is notable for its use of dissonance and unconventional vocal writing, as well as its emotional depth and expressive power.

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