Dickinson: Three Songs From The Unicorns for Soprano and Piano

LULLABY from The Unicorns (1967/82/86) 'The Lullaby from ‘The Unicorns’ arose from an opera libretto I commissioned from John Heath-Stubbs (1918-2006) in the late 1960s. In his story two unicorns are discovered in a remote part of Africa. Both the East and West want to obtain them for research so they send out rival expeditions. The Western technique is to lure the unicorn with a young girl singing a lullaby. Both East and West capture unicorns but the mythical animals escape in the end. I never completed the opera but I made a six movement suite from it called The Unicorns. There arethree songs and three instrumental numbers and the first performance was given with Elisabeth Söderström and Solna Brass under Lars-Gunnar Björklund at Ekensbergskyrkan Solna Sweden on 31 October 1982. This version was recorded (Albany TROY 760) and my arrangement of the three songs for voice and piano was recorded by Marilyn Hill Smith (Albany TROY365). The career of the Lullaby continued with a version for clarinet and piano which I premiered with Jack Brymer aboard the Sea Princess in the Mediterranean on 29 September 1986. The oboe version was for Sarah Francis and Duke Dobing and I have recorded it for flute and piano (Naxos 8.572287). Lullaby can be played with a variety of solo instruments and is also available for piano left hand and piano solo which I have recorded.' - Peter Dickinson

for Baritone and Piano. Par PHILIPS JULIAN. Swift Partitions by Julian Philips is a 13-minute set of songs for baritone and piano. This setting of eight short poems by American poet Emily Dickinson, each exploring her relationship to the sea, is not narrative, but instead alternates philosophical meditations on the sea (Songs 1, 3, 5 8) with more immediate \'encounters\': a surreal walk with the sea (Song 2), two near drownings (Songs 4 5) and a river\'s almost erotic desire to join the ocean (Song 8). 1. An Everywhere of Silver 2. I started Early ? took my Dog 3. Though the great Waters sleep 4. The waters chased him as he fled 5. Water makes many Beds 6. Three times ? we parted ? Breath ? and I 7. Fortitude incarnate 8. My River runs to thee Completed in June 1998, Swift Partitions was commissioned by the Welsh baritone Jeremy Huw Williams, with funds from the Arts Council of Wales, and premiered with pianist Nigel Foster, at St Mary\'s Church Warwick, on 9 July 1998. The score (EP 73505) is available for sale. / Date parution : 2022-09-07/ Répertoire / Baryton et Piano