Score
Two Shakespeare songs : for soprano and piano / Wendy Hiscocks.
Library shelf no. 783.66542/HIS 4 [Not for loan]
Work Overview
In 'When Icicles hang by the Wall' (from Shakespeare's Love's
Labours Lost) I picture the icy north wind as the
storyteller. Outwardly she's cold and icy, frost glistening on
her face, but inwardly she's full of fire, playful, humorous and
thoroughly enjoying a nip at people's fingers and noses. 'Where
the Bee Sucks' (from The Tempest) reflects Ariel's
feelings, a free spirit of light and air who, after years of
imprisonment in the trunk of a tree, will be set free after his
service to Prospero. As his release draws near, he breaks into
delighted song and dance at the thought.
When performing the first of these songs, it is important for the
pianist to maintain the rhythm of the tarantella; a rolling,
skipping rhythm with a real lift. Rhythmic detail is equally
important in Ariel's dance where there is a slight emphasis on
the quaver off-‐‑beat to observe as well as the main beat.
The 'Two Shakespeare Songs' have enjoyed various interpretations
over the years. Two of the most memorable were by soprano Sarah
Redgwick who performed them at the Barbican in her Gold Medal
winning recital and Camille van Lunen singing them with the
composer at the piano at the Kings Lynn Festival.
Work Details
Instrumentation: Soprano voice, piano.
Difficulty: Advanced — Approx AMEB Grade 8
Contents note: When icicles hang by the wall (2 min., 20 sec.) -- Where the bee sucks (1 min., 10 sec.).
When icicles hang by the wall (1992) ; Where the bee sucks (1991)
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