Composer

:

Tobias Picker

Genre

:

Keyboard

Style

:

Keyboard

Compose Date

:

1977

Average_duration

:

14:30

'... when soft voices die…' is a song cycle composed by Tobias Picker in 1995. The work was premiered on October 22, 1995, at the 92nd Street Y in New York City, with soprano Renée Fleming and pianist Stephen Hough. The song cycle consists of six movements, each setting a poem by a different poet. The first movement, "When Soft Voices Die," sets a poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley and features a gentle, flowing melody that evokes the peacefulness of death. The second movement, "The Nightingale," sets a poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge and features a more lively, virtuosic piano part that imitates the bird's song. The third movement, "The Rose," sets a poem by Christina Rossetti and features a delicate, lyrical melody that captures the fragility of the flower. The fourth movement, "The Poplar," sets a poem by Gerard Manley Hopkins and features a more dramatic, intense melody that reflects the tree's strength and resilience. The fifth movement, "The Statue," sets a poem by Thomas Hardy and features a haunting, mournful melody that captures the sadness of a forgotten monument. The final movement, "The Dance," sets a poem by William Butler Yeats and features a lively, rhythmic melody that evokes the joy and energy of life. Overall, '... when soft voices die…' is characterized by its lyrical melodies, sensitive piano accompaniment, and emotional depth. The work explores themes of love, loss, and mortality, and showcases Picker's skill at setting poetry to music.

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