Emily! from New England: Musical Settings of the Poems of Emily Dickinson - Soprano and Piano

The poetry of Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) is especially appealing due to the wide range of topics, diversity of mood and peculiar imagination of the poet. The writings are reflective, passionate, witty, sensuous, observant and ridiculously humorous. Her heart soars. Her mind pokes fun! Emily was truly a New Englander. Her poems are understated and compact. Her love of Nature focuses on small things- birds, bees, meadows and a pond.

In creating the musical settings, the composer (herself a New Englander) endeavored to capture the spirit of the poetry, and of the poet, with songs diverse in style, and concise in form. Everything from romance to frogs is explored, briefly.

Great delight is taken in creating musical translations of the colorful imagery: the letters floating off on the breeze ("My Letter to the World"); the shimmering moonlight ("The Moon and the Sea"); a frog croaking in a bog ("The Frog in the Bog"); hopeful birds hopping about ("Hope” with Feathers"); the boat of passion riding the waves and then settling into its mooring ("Passion"); the ship's cannon firing in celebration ("Joy"); and the tiniest, lightest gifts of Nature ("All I Have to Bring").

These are the poet's Letters to the World. She lived as a recluse, yet her words took flight-traveling the universe as messengers of the soul.

Duration: 14'00"