Last week, we completed the regular season with a guest post by composer Oliver Grühn, and this one, already in July, we're starting summer. It is time for holidays, and I am sure many of you will go up and down and disconnect from the electronic devices, which is so healthy. But when you come back to Liederabend, you will find a short article and a song every week. As usual, August will be dedicated to the Schubertíada, and in July, we will continue a series from last year: The same poem, one more song. I have been jotting down songs for this series during the past few months. I already talked about some of them; these weeks I will present you five more, and a few will remain on a list that is always active.
This week, we have a poem from William Shakespeare. Most of the songs on Shakespeare's texts are not based upon his poetic work, there are few songs that musicalize his sonnets; composers more frequently musicalize fragments from the plays. In particular, the songs sung by the characters of these plays, such as Ophelia, Desdemona, or Fest.
The story of Twelfth Night takes place in the court of the Duke Orsino, and Feste, the jester, is always prepared to please or subtly mock the nobles. Throughout the work, he sings five songs, the best known of which is the second, Come away, death. Responding to the Duke's request, it is a lament for unrequited love. The song is indeed sad, but since we all know that we are in a comedy, we can allow ourselves to smile as we listen to it.
This week, we are listening to the third version of Come away, death. The first was by Korngold, the second by Sibelius, and this week I propose Gerald Finzi. We have heard so far only one song by this composer, his best known, Fear no more the heat of the sun, also with a Shakespare's song as a text: it is a funeral song from Cymbeline. Both this song and the one we will hear today are part of his cycle Let us garlands bring, premiered in 1942.
Finzi made two versions of Come away, death: for voice and piano and for baritone and string orchestra. I suggest listening to both versions. The first is performed by Roderick Williams and Iain Burnside, and the second is performed by Christopher Maltman and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Martyn Brabbins.
I hope you like it and enjoy the summer!
And in sad cypress let me be laid;
Fly away, fly away, breath;
I am slain by a fair cruel maid.
My shroud of white, stuck all with yew,
O prepare it!
My part of death, no one so true
Did share it.
Not a flower, not a flower sweet,
On my black coffin let there be strown;
Not a friend, not a friend greet
My poor corpse, where my bones shall be thrown:
A thousand sighs to save,
Lay me, O where
true lover never find my grave,
To weep there!
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