2019 | for medium-low voice and piano | 8'
Various Songs is a set of three art songs for medium voice and piano, written February–December 2019. The three songs were written separately, but there's a certain rapport between them, and I've come to think of them as "sisters." They share a loose theme of identity and self-assuredness, perhaps a product of writing them at the end of graduate school and the beginning of my "real" adult life. They work just as well separately as they do in a set. The given order is a suggestion, not a rule. In fact: besides the words, rhythms, and notes (in that order), practically nothing about this set is a rule. These are individualistic songs at their core, and I hope that you make them your own.
"Humdrum" was premiered April 12, 2019 at the Center for New Music in San Francisco, CA by mezzo-soprano Mahsheed Massarat. This song takes a lot of inspiration from the complex yet youthful rhythmic energy of "Jupiter Has Seven Moons" from Bernstein's I Hate Music! However, Sandburg's text adds a layer of sophistication that the Bernstein intentionally lacks. "Humdrum," with its relatively small range, also lacks that pesky high A that "Jupiter" has. Your mileage may vary, but my long-suffering neighbors definitely prefer this one. Length: approx. 2'. Range: C4-E5.
"Advice to a Girl" was commissioned by mezzo-soprano Mahsheed Massarat after our work together on "Humdrum." Mahsheed has a wonderfully rich and lyrical voice, which inspired the long lines and lush low notes seen throughout this song. There is a calming, almost lullaby-like quality to the piece, as if the singer is talking a young woman through her first heartbreak. Thematically, the text bridges the gap between the excitable "Humdrum" and the more self-assured "At a Window." The vocalises beginning at m. 46 are optional, though (in my opinion) very pretty. Length: approx. 3'. Range: G3-G5.
"At a Window" is my personal homage to both the Great American Songbook and the opera singers who mine its depths for encores (that they sing, more or less, in full classical style). It was written as an encore for me to premiere on my own graduate composition recital, which occurred on April 12, 2019 at the Center for New Music in San Francisco, CA. In this spirit of self-indulgence, the piece lends itself beautifully to rubato, backphrasing, pitch bends or "scoops," and a general spirit of diva-hood. Any singer who is a better pianist than me (not terribly uncommon) will be able to accompany themselves while singing, for an extra touch of lounge-singer flair. Barring this, a beverage of one's choice in the off-hand is also appropriate. Length: approx. 3'30". Range: A#3-G5.