Located in the UK
Located in the USA
Located in Europe
- Peter Maxwell Davies
Blake Dreaming: "Goodison Quartet No. 5" (2010)
- Chester Music Ltd (World)
- vn.vn.va.vc
- Baritone
- 8 min
- William Blake
Programme Note
The commission was for a work which “uses the voice as an extra instrument, without a text.” In Blake Dreaming, I have cheated a little, setting a line from “The Marriage of Heaven and Hell”, albeit incompletely:-
The roaring of lions, the howling of wolves, the raging of the stormy sea...
are portions of eternity too great for the eye of man.
The first section sets the Blake down to “stormy sea” with voice alone, and follows this by a “dreaming” upon and around it for voice and quartet, where the baritone has pure vocalise. The second section sets the rest of the sentence, again followed by an extended “dreaming” with pure vocalise. The baritone line should be urgent and moody, suggesting eventful and disturbing dreaming. I would suggest that he imagine throughout
a dramatic outline – even to specific (but unsung!) words and emotions – to ensure as powerful and gripping a dialogue with the quartet as possible.
P.M.D.
The roaring of lions, the howling of wolves, the raging of the stormy sea...
are portions of eternity too great for the eye of man.
The first section sets the Blake down to “stormy sea” with voice alone, and follows this by a “dreaming” upon and around it for voice and quartet, where the baritone has pure vocalise. The second section sets the rest of the sentence, again followed by an extended “dreaming” with pure vocalise. The baritone line should be urgent and moody, suggesting eventful and disturbing dreaming. I would suggest that he imagine throughout
a dramatic outline – even to specific (but unsung!) words and emotions – to ensure as powerful and gripping a dialogue with the quartet as possible.
P.M.D.
Scores
Sample Pages