Matching Items (2)
Filtering by

Clear all filters

151635-Thumbnail Image.png

Libby Larsen's Margaret songs: a musical portrait of Willa Cather's Margaret Elliot

Description
Libby Larsen is one of the most performed and acclaimed composers today. She is a spirited, compelling, and sensitive composer whose music enhances the poetry of America's most prominent authors. Notable among her works are song cycles for soprano based on the poetry of female writers, among them novelist and…

Libby Larsen is one of the most performed and acclaimed composers today. She is a spirited, compelling, and sensitive composer whose music enhances the poetry of America's most prominent authors. Notable among her works are song cycles for soprano based on the poetry of female writers, among them novelist and poet Willa Cather (1873-1947). Larsen has produced two song cycles on works from Cather's substantial output of fiction: one based on Cather's short story, "Eric Hermannson's Soul," titled Margaret Songs: Three Songs from Willa Cather (1996); and later, My Antonia (2000), based on Cather's novel of the same title. In Margaret Songs, Cather's poetry and short stories--specifically the character of Margaret Elliot--combine with Larsen's unique compositional style to create a surprising collaboration. This study explores how Larsen in these songs delves into the emotional and psychological depths of Margaret's character, not fully formed by Cather. It is only through Larsen's music and Cather's poetry that Margaret's journey through self-discovery and love become fully realized. This song cycle is a glimpse through the eyes of two prominent female artists on the societal pressures placed upon Margaret's character, many of which still resonate with women in today's culture. This study examines the work Margaret Songs by discussing Willa Cather, her musical influences, and the conditions surrounding the writing of "Eric Hermannson's Soul." It looks also into Cather's influence on Libby Larsen and the commission leading to Margaret Songs. Finally, a description of the musical, dramatic, and textual content of the songs completes this interpretation of the interactions of Willa Cather, Libby Larsen, and the character of Margaret Elliot.
ContributorsMcLain, Christi Marie (Author) / FitzPatrick, Carole (Thesis advisor) / Dreyfoos, Dale (Committee member) / Holbrook, Amy (Committee member) / Ryan, Russell (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2013
193655-Thumbnail Image.png

A Novel Approach: Exploring Novels as Text Sources in Art Song

Description
Oxford’s Grove Dictionary of Music describes art song as “song intended for the concert repertory, as opposed to a traditional or popular song,” but despite this broad definition, poetry is the primary text source for art song. Poetry is stereotypically considered more suitable for art song because of its rhythm,…

Oxford’s Grove Dictionary of Music describes art song as “song intended for the concert repertory, as opposed to a traditional or popular song,” but despite this broad definition, poetry is the primary text source for art song. Poetry is stereotypically considered more suitable for art song because of its rhythm, meter, and rhyme. However, poems are not the only sources for art songs. Many examples of prose are used in song, such as Libby Larsen’s Try Me, Good King! which sets the last words of the wives of Henry XIII, and Patrice Michaels’ The Long View: A Portrait of Ruth Bader Ginsburg in Nine Songs, which sets texts from Justice Ginsburg’s life. Despite the wealth of potentials texts, there are not many songs set to text from novels. Even setting letters is more common than novel excerpts, including Stacy Garrop’s My Dearest Ruth and Libby Larsen’s Songs from Letters. There may be concerns which prevent text from novels being set to song, for example, the short length of a song may limit its ability to contextualize plot or character relationships. Composers and performers may also face challenges in approaching narration or dialogue from multiple characters to be sung by only one voice. Additionally, prose often contains more filler words and colloquial language. All of these are challenges which must be faced when adapting and performing text from novels. Despite these challenges, using text from novels can be a rewarding experience for musicians and audiences, as they bring to life the drama and emotion of a character. Some authors, such as Jane Austen, use novels to reflect their characters’ worlds as well as their own cultures and societies. Paired with art song, an intimate way of sharing human experiences with audiences, songs with text from novels have the potential to become profound snapshots of a character or author’s world. This paper will discuss art songs with prose text excerpted from novels and will analyze sources of both poetry and prose to determine if there are fundamental textual differences which prevent the performance of songs with text from novels.
ContributorsMarr, Mackenzie Lyn (Author) / Campbell, Andrew (Thesis advisor) / Aoki, Miki (Committee member) / Aoki Navarro, Fernanda (Committee member) / FitzPatrick, Carole (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2024