Art Songs of Helen Crane Book II: English Texts Anthology

Selected Art Songs for Medium Voice – Book Two

O Sweet Delight from Old English Songs op. 73

New music from the past! Recently re-discovered composer, Helen C. Crane demonstrates her unique talent with striking accompaniments suffused with rich harmonies. Hence, she seems a fitting precursor to Erik Satie or Samuel Barber. Here, in the second volume, the chosen texts are all English. These are separated into two groups by centuries: Old English Songs derive from poets of the 17th & 18th centuries: Shakespeare, Campion and others. Her collection of New English Songs (op. 74) draws on more current poets relative to Helen Crane’s time: mid-to-late 1800s. Hear the sound of an American composer, a student of Philip Scharwenka in a German conservatory previous to the advent of the First World War. Wonderful music! Check it out! Art Song Book II Sampler

Love Songs (poems by Marie von Vorst) op. 28, 1 – 3
Old English Songs op. 73, no. 1 – 7 (poems by Shakespeare Th. Heywood, Th. Dekker & others)
New English Songs op. 74, no. 1 – 8 (poems by Herrick, Burns, Thompson, A. Dobson & others)

Format

Clear

SKU: N/A Category: Solo Voice

Book Two is comprised of settings of English texts. The first grouping, op. 28 sets three poems by Marie von Vorst written against the backdrop of the First World War, and subjects tend toward separation and loss. The last two sets are grouped by historic period. Old English Songs, based on texts from the 17th & 18th centuries,..New English Songs mostly 19th century. There is a nice stylistic variety overall.