#ClassicsaDay #PoetryMonth 2022 Week 4
What’s the connection between classical music and poetry? To celebrate Poetry Month, the Classics a Day team encouraged folks to find out. For the month of April, the challenge is to post poetry used in classical music or works inspired by poetry.
4/25/22 Ralph Vaughan Williams – Three Shakespeare Songs
Vaughan Willaims completed this work in 1951. The set was originally composed as test pieces for the UK’s National Competitive Festival for choirs.
4/26/22 Andre Previn – Three Dickinson Songs for Soprano and Piano
Previn composed this cycle in 2000 for Renée Fleming, who premiered the work.
4/27/22 Amy Beach – By the Still Waters, Op. 114
Beach published this work in 1925. It’s inspired by Psalm 23, which also provides the title.
4/28/22 Augusta Read Thomas – Two E. E. Cummings Songs
These settings of cummings’ poetry were commissioned by the San Francisco Girls Chorus. The chorus premiered the work in 2008.
4/29/22 Maurice Greene: Spenser’s Amoretti
Greene was master of the king’s Musick beginning in 1735. “Amoretti” is a setting of 25 sonnets by Edmund Spenser, and published in 1739.
Next Month:
