Composer

:

Elliott Carter

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Vocal Music

Compose Date

:

1942 - 1981

Average_duration

:

4:32

Movement_count

:

3

Movement ....

Elliott Carter's "Poems (3) of Robert Frost" is a song cycle composed for soprano and piano. The cycle was composed in 1942 and premiered on March 3, 1943, at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. The three movements of the cycle are "Dust of Snow," "The Rose Family," and "The Line-Gang." The first movement, "Dust of Snow," is a setting of Frost's poem of the same name. The poem describes a moment of unexpected joy in the midst of a bleak winter day. Carter's setting captures the contrast between the dark, brooding piano introduction and the sudden, sparkling vocal entrance. The vocal line is angular and disjunct, reflecting the jagged rhythms of the text. The second movement, "The Rose Family," is a setting of Frost's poem about the various members of the rose family and their different characteristics. Carter's setting is playful and whimsical, with a bouncy piano accompaniment and a vocal line that skips and dances around the text. The movement ends with a sudden, unexpected shift to a more serious tone, as the poem reflects on the fleeting nature of beauty. The final movement, "The Line-Gang," is a setting of Frost's poem about a group of men working together to repair a stone wall. Carter's setting captures the sense of camaraderie and shared purpose among the workers, with a driving piano accompaniment and a vocal line that weaves in and out of the texture. The movement ends with a sudden, dramatic shift to a slower tempo and a more introspective mood, as the poem reflects on the isolation and loneliness of human existence. Overall, "Poems (3) of Robert Frost" is a masterful example of Carter's skill as a composer of vocal music. The cycle showcases his ability to capture the nuances of text through music, and his sensitivity to the emotional and psychological complexities of human experience.

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