Young Man
Instrumentation
Soprano
Piano
Vocal composition with text for Soprano and Piano
Premiered by
Victoria Magnusson - Soprano
Sarah Senior - Piano
Dec 13th, 2024, MSM, NYC
Lyrics by John Haines
Young Man
I seemed always standing
before a door
to which I had no key,
although I knew it hid behind it
a gift for me.
(Silence space between)
Until one day I closed
my eyes a moment, stretched
then looked once more.
And not surprised, I did not mind it
when the hinges creaked
and, smiling, Death
held out his hands to me.
Young Man
2024
TWO sections respond two paragraphs of lyrics.
1st, Dream like, beautiful, pure implies nostalgia. The claves, played by the singer, consistently emphasize the downbeat and every half-beat in 2/2 timing, creating a sense of the time slipping away.
Piano uses to creats a kind of rhythmic conterpoint increasing an unbalance feeling, another hint of time flying.
Singer, talks, sings an beautiful pitch.
(Silence space between)
2nd section, intensive harmony, accelerating in Velocity, making a huge contrast with pervious section.
Sometime the claves return indicating an death approaching.