Britten’s Donne, Hardy and Blake Songs

Cyclic Design and Meaning

Gordon Cameron Sly

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Hardback

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English

The Boydell Press
18 April 2023

20th century & contemporary classical music; Individual composers & musicians, bands & groups; Poetry by individual poets

Series: Aldeburgh Studies in Music

Presents a first analytical study that looks at the overarching designs of Benjamin Britten's John Donne, Thomas Hardy and William Blake solo song cycles. By questioning when a group of songs ought to be understood not merely as a collection, but as a cycle, Sly shows that Britten's personal selection and arrangement is indispensable to understanding these cycles' extra-musical communication. The Holy Sonnets of John Donne, Winter Words (poems by Hardy) and Songs and Proverbs of William Blake - composed in 1945, 1953 and 1965 respectively - each represent a philosophical exploration. The terrains set out by the three poets are distinct, but also engage one another in important and unexpected ways. Their cyclic architectures are expressed not only in their poetic arrangement, but in their musical settings. Key relationships and motive remain central for Britten. Keys convey a network of interconnections, create groupings of songs, and establish levels of tonal affinity or distance. Motive - often intervals that can fit into any melodic, harmonic or rhythmic context - is used to create aural affinities between or among individual songs. This book also offers a broader narrative revealing Britten's evolving philosophical convictions in post-war Britain. While it may not be the case that Britten intended any broader philosophical comment, the works together outline the cold and brittle state that emerges from loss and aligns with their composer's increasingly stark outlook on humanity.

By: Gordon Cameron Sly
Imprint: The Boydell Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm,
Weight: 1g
ISBN: 9781783277711
ISBN 10: 1783277718
Series: Aldeburgh Studies in Music
Pages: 198
Publication Date: 18 April 2023
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Preface 1: Britten's Clever Subconscious 2: The Holy Sonnets of John Donne 3: Winter Words 4: Songs and Proverbs of William Blake Coda Bibliography Index

GORDON SLY is Professor of Music Theory at Michigan State University.