Pushkin describes how thoughts of the inevitability of
death intrude into his daily life. By the end, he
achieves acceptance, or at least resignation, by
visualizing his tomb and himself at rest. This poem is
doubly poignant: First, Pushkin actually died young, in
a duel to defend the honor of his wife. Second,
because Pushkin had difficult relationships with both
the government and the orthodox church, his funeral was
private and hurried. Following 6 verses set to
original melodies, I set t...(+)
Pushkin describes how thoughts of the inevitability of
death intrude into his daily life. By the end, he
achieves acceptance, or at least resignation, by
visualizing his tomb and himself at rest. This poem is
doubly poignant: First, Pushkin actually died young, in
a duel to defend the honor of his wife. Second,
because Pushkin had difficult relationships with both
the government and the orthodox church, his funeral was
private and hurried. Following 6 verses set to
original melodies, I set the last two verses as solo
descants against the traditional hymns ?Holy, Holy,
Holy? and ?Eternal Memory.? In Pushkin?s time, the
singing of the former might have been permitted even
for the heterodox.
SHEET MUSIC