THE HILL WIFE (2012)

Soprano, Fl, Cl, Vl, Vcl, Piano

Duration ca. 20:00

The Hill Wife (PDF Score and Parts Set)
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PROGRAM NOTES

In five movements:

  1. The Birds

  2. The House

  3. The Smile

  4. The Tree

  5. The Hill Wife

The Hill Wife is a setting of a five-poem suite by Robert Frost. Frost’s poems are unusual in his output for their sense of heightened drama. Taken together, they tell the story of a young bride, living in isolation with her new husband, who begins to suffer from terrible anxiety and depression. Eventually, she is driven away from her circumstances - either escaping, dying, or simply fading away into the hills. In approaching these texts, I was struck by the power of Frost’s evocation of both character and setting, and worked to develop striking musical gestures to represent components of each. Intended as a combination song cycle / monodrama, The Hill Wife may be performed semi-staged if desired.

Premiered by Heather Gallagher in Bossi-Comelli Studio, New York, NY (May 2012).

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