Search Content

The relationship of music and poetry in Dies Natalis by Gerald Finzi

Description

This paper explores the relationship of text and music in Dies Natalis by Gerald Finzi. Many of Gerald Finzi’s compositions have been researched and analyzed, but Dies Natalis, a work for high voice and string quartet, has received limited attention. The text is by Thomas Traherne, a…

This paper explores the relationship of text and music in Dies Natalis by Gerald Finzi. Many of Gerald Finzi’s compositions have been researched and analyzed, but Dies Natalis, a work for high voice and string quartet, has received limited attention. The text is by Thomas Traherne, a lesser-known English poet and theologian. The research investigates textual interpretation and an explanation or a discussion of the religious mysticism of Traherne. After a biographical discussion of the composer and the poet, this paper provides a musical analysis, including a study of thematic and harmonic relationships in the work, and an examination of word painting and text setting. To facilitate my analysis, I used the piano reduction and not the string score for this project.

ContributorsMcKee, Marcy (Author) / Mills, Robert (Thesis advisor) / Rogers, Rodney (Committee member) / Hawkins, Gordon (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)

Created2016

Filtering by

The relationship of music and poetry in Dies Natalis by Gerald Finzi

Vicki Giardina, soprano

Robert Mills, piano accompanying

English and American song sycles

Vicki Giardina, soprano

Jennifer Jones, soprano

Katherine Thilakaratne, soprano

Heidi Yost, soprano

Amy Yekel, soprano

The 20th century: A celebration of musical diversity