A Revisitation of Myth four songs for viola, piano and medium voice

Joelle Wallach (1998)

A Revisitation of Myth four songs for viola, piano and medium voice

by Joelle Wallach

I Icarus Swims 3 Think of it, love, what if the tales, the price- less paintings, all were wrong. What if they lied because the old cults thrived on sacrifice …and had to say he died. What if the sun was midwife at a birth, melting the wax, letting him plunge naked to the christening sea, with infant mirth, with joy amphibious. So much is staked on our courage to recast the myths. I love you, sear you, cut you loose to fall…. …..We must save ourselves, and him. Imagine it, imagine it, and swim. Luann Keener

III Hymn to Eros 17 O Eros, silently smiling…, hear me. Let the Shadow of thy wings brush me. Let thy presence enfold me, as if darkness were swandown. Let me see that darkness lamp in hand. this country become the other country sacred to desire. Drowsy god, slow the wheels of my thought …listen… to the snowfall hush of thy circling. Close my beloved with me in the smoke ring of thy power, that we may be, each to the other, figures of flame, figures of smoke, figures of flesh newly seen in the dusk. Denise Levertov

II Ms Lot 7 Well, if he treats me like a young girl still, That father of mine… And we’re still travelling into the hills – But everyone on the road knows he offered us To the Strangers when all they wanted was men, And the cloud of smoke still over the twin cities And mother a salt lick…. Who’s going to want me now? Mother did not even know She was not to turn around and look. God spoke to Lot, my father. She was hard of hearing. He knew that…. What kind of father is that….? He offered us to those men. They didn’t want women. Mother always used to say: Some normal man will come along and need you. Muriel Ruyeyser

IV Abraham and Orpheus 24 Abraham and Orpheus, be with me now: You saw your love’s face abstract, the weak-kneed stilts, You saw and knew, and knew how near “no more”… How poised on nothing, weighted on air, The touched, seen substance… of care: Surround me, be round me, be with me… Abraham and Orpheus, be with me now. Love, love exhausts and time goes round and round, Time circles in its idiot defeat, And that which circles falls, falls endlessly, Falls endlessly, no music shapes the air Which did, can, shall restore the end of care, For love exhausts …and time goes round and round, I shudder in traffic, buildings stand, Will fall, and night will fall, the electric light be snapped To spread its yellow genius on the floor, And you knew too who knew and knew “no more” That love exhausts …and time goes around. Abraham and Orpheus, be with me now: No longer the grandstand… Love sucked me to the moving street below, I see the price of care, turning to keep, I am a price, I turn to keep, I care, But time which circles dissipates all care, As you knew too, who lifted up the knife, And you, musician in the after-life, Drowning in the shadow all love always bears, As every solid thing must shadow into light: …Abraham and Orpheus, be near, be near. Delmore Schwartz

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paint ings all were wrong. What

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if they lied, lied be cause the

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Think

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of it, love, what

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if the tales, the price less

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A Revisitation of Mythf o u r s o n g s f o r v i o l a , p i a n o a n d m e d i u m v o i c e

Luann Keener=69 Cantabile

Icarus SwimsI

Joelle Wallach

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3ma ben cantabile

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wax, let3ting him plunge na ked to the christ’ ning sea, with in fant

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sun was mid wife at a birth melt 3ing the

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ben 3poco dolce

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old cults thrived on sa cri fice, and had to say he died.

ben

What3

poco dolce

if the

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3lontano

poco 3 3dolce lontano

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I love

con passione

you,sear you, cut youlooseto fall.

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So

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much is staked on our cou rage to re cast the myths.

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poco e poco pensivo3

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mirth, with

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joy am phi bi ous.

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I ma3

gine it, i ma3

gine it, and swim.

poco

3poco

m o l t o e s p r . d o l c e3

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We

appassionato

must save our selves and him.

poco

3dolce cantab.

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ma ben dolce3 3 espr.cantabile

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(sotto voce)

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Well,

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sempre

muttering under the breath3

at the tip

muttering under the breath espr.3

=100-104 like angry muttered murmuringMuriel Rukeyser

Ms LotII

Joelle Wallach

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(a whining adolescent tantrum)

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in the hills. Who’s go ing to want me now?

poco jangly

(L.H.sotto voce murmur)3

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go ing to want me now? and we’re still tra

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vel ing

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well, if he treats me like a young girl, still, that

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fa ther of mine, Who’s

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piangere 3

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pizz. arco

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to Stran gers when all they want ed was men...

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meno

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but ev

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’ry one on the road knows he of ferred us

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ov

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er the twin cit ies, And mo ther a salt lick! Who’s

ben

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And the cloud of smoke all

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sul ponticello

jangly

ord.

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a c c e l . a t e m p o

25 a c c e l . a t e m p o

r i t e n u t o

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go ing to want me to want me now,

r i t e n u t o11

now,

ord.

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not to turn a round and look. He knew! Oh,

arcosul ponticello

jangly

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could n’t e ven hear, and he knew: Mo ther could n’t e ven hear, she was

pizz.

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God spoke to Lot, my fa ther. She

conspiratorial

jangly

con sordino(16th figure at tip of bow)

espr. cantabile3

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now?

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to want me now? Who’s go ing to want me

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who’s go ing to want me now? Who’s go ing

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sotto voce

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go ing to want me now? Who’s

senza sordino

poco

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day and need you, but now who’s

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Now, Mo ther used to say some nor

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mal man will come some

conspiratorial

(non-tremulo)

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Who’s go ing to

arco

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Who’s go ing to want me now?

pizz.

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go ing to want me now? Oh,

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espr. mol to

e ben lontano

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s o t t o v o c e

sotto voce

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now?

pizz. con sordino al fine arco

dolce lontano

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want me now, to want me now, to want me

molto lontanopoco lontano

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O

dolce

E ros, si

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lent ly smil ing, hear me: let the sha dow of thy

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3legato, leggero e sempre gracioso

3 3espressivo cantabile 3

Denise Levertov=66 wistful and yearning, caressing throughout

H y m n t o E r o sIII

Joelle Wallach

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poch. meno mosso ( =60)

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espr.

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coun try be come an o ther coun try, sa cred to de sire.

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poco

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down. Let me see that dark

poco

ness, lamp in hand, this

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wings brush me let thy pre sence en fold me, as if dark ness were swan

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cir cling.

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poco

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slow the wheels of my thought, lis ten to the snow

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fall hush

poco

of thy

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18 poco

Drow sy god,

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(solo)

dolce espr.

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fi

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gures of flesh new

subito

ly seen3in the dusk.

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to each o ther we may be fi

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gures

dolce

of flame, fi

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gures of smoke,

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Close

poco

my be lov

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ed with me in the smoke ring

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of thy

poco

po wer that

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dark ness lamp in hand, this coun try be come an o ther coun try,

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espr.

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Let

espr.

me see that

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espr. cantab.dolce 3

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that to each o ther we may be fi

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gures of flame, fi

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gures of smoke, fi

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gures of

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3 ma dolce espr.

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lis ten Close

ma dolce espr.

my be lov

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ed with me

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drow sy god, slow the wheels of my thought,

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ros, si

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lent ly smil ing, smi ling, hear me!

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(solo) 3

3 poco

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hear me!

ma più lontano

O E

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dolce cantabile

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flesh

3subito

new ly seen3in the dusk.

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Oh,

e più lontano

E ros, si

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lent ly smil ing,

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dolce cantabile

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poco

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p o c o a p o c o p i ù d o l c e

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prophetic and declamatory

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A b r a h a m a n d O r p h e u s=104 ( =52)

Delmore Schwartz

IV

Joelle Wallach

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poco 3

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near "no more" How poised on no thing, weight

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You saw your love’s face, you saw and knew, and knew how

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poco più mosso3

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poco più mosso

Ab

poco

ra ham and Or pheus be with me now.

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Ab

poco

ra ham and Or pheus, be with me now.

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the touched, seen sub stance of care

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ed on air,

3espr.

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love ex hausts and time goes round and round. Time cir

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cles in id

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’ot de feat, cir cles

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Love,

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Ab ra ham and Or pheus, sur

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round me, be

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with me now.

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espr.

e molto legato

s o t t o v o c e

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round, I shud3

der in traf fic, build ings stand, will fall, and night will fall, e

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did, can, shall re store the end of care, for

poco

love ex hausts and time goes round and

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end less ly falls. No mu sic shapes the air

poco

which

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more" that love ex hausts and time goes round and round. Ab

poco

ra ham and Or pheus, be with

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and you knew too who knew and knew "no

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lec tric light be snapped to spread its yel low ge nius on the floor;

p o c o a p o c o p i ù l o n t a n o

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poised on no thing, weight ed on air, the touched, seen sub stance of care. Ab ra

poco dolce espr.

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You saw and knew, and knew how near how

poco dolce espr.

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me now.

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espr.

l e g a t o , l o n t a n o e s o t t o v o c e

poco meno

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price,

ben dolce

I turn to keep, I care,

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dolce

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sucked me to the mov

poco

ing street be low. I see the price of care, turn

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ing to keep,

poco più

I am

dolce

a

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ham and Or pheus, be with me now.

poco più agitato

No long er the grand stand, love

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must sha dow in to light: Ab ra ham and Or pheus, Ab ra ham and Or

too, drown ing in the sha dow all love al ways bears, As ev ’ry so lid thing

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but time which cir cles dis si pates all care, as you knew

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espr.

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(A tempo, con moto)

(A tempo, con moto)

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e più dolce

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pheus be3 3

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with me now.

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p o c o a p o c o p i ù l o n t a n o e d i m .

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3 3 p o c o a p o c o

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dolce espr. piangere

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