Composition Year | 2005 |
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Genre Categories | Songs; For voice, piano; For voices with keyboard; |
Work Title | The Lake |
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Alternative. Title | |
Composer | Shirley, Nathan |
Internal Reference NumberInternal Ref. No. | INS 16 |
Year/Date of CompositionY/D of Comp. | 2005 |
First Publication. | 2005 |
Librettist | Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) |
Language | English |
Average DurationAvg. Duration | 5 minutes |
Composer Time PeriodComp. Period | Modern |
Piece Style | Modern |
Instrumentation | soprano, piano |
Edgar Allan Poe’s The Lake was first published in 1827, inspired by a trip to Lake Drummond in The Great Dismal Swamp of Virginia and North Carolina.
In setting this poem to music, I left the text completely unaltered. Though the general feel is dark and subdued, the piano part constantly jumps quickly and softly over the entire range of the keyboard as it depicts the dark waters of the Lake. The piano often only hints at the vocal line -- as a ghostly shadow coming and going. The singer must have a sharp ear in order to navigate this strange twisting melody. The version presented here was recorded in an experimental way to give the piece a unique yet modern atmosphere.