ENS.2009.2 | 7′
Poems by Samuel Menashe
Mezzo-soprano & Alto Flute, Clarinet, Horn, Trombone, Viola, Cello
I. Winter
II. Star
III. Water
Samuel Menashe’s tart, epigrammatic poems complete yet another entry in the long line of short verse set by Eric Shanfield. Arranged according to theme, I have set a variety of his work for mezzo-soprano with a mixed ensemble focused on a warm mid-range.
The first song begins with a short musical idea, progressively adding one note to the end and then subtracting one note from the beginning until gradually it works its way around to where it began. The second tries a theme before unwinding it into another, while the final song is a kind of miniature song cycle in itself, each poem separated by a brief measured pause. The work ends with a lush, quiet coda just after sunset.
Amulet was written for Emilia.