There is Sweet Music (12 Pos)

There is Sweet Music (12 Pos) (There is Sweet Music is the first of a set of 4 part songs, Opus 53 written in 1907. The words are from Alfred Lord Tennysons The Lotus Eaters’, which narrates the arrival of Odysseus, and his sailors at an idyllic island where all is at peace. They discover the calming, soporific effects of eating the lotus plant and are then torn between staying here, at rest and safe from further adventure or doing their duty, embarking again to face whatever dangers fate has to throw at them and returning home, perhaps even to be unrecognised by their people after their epically long absence. This ethical dilemma, to allow personal emotions to dictate behaviour or to do ones duty for the sake of others, was as pertinent in Tennysons Victorian era and also during the troubled times of Elgars Edwardian England immediately before the First World War as it was for Odysseus. Elgar adopts a bitonal technique to represent the stress between the two; the female voices are in A flat major while the male voices are in G major. This was a technique exploited by the avant-garde of his time, such as Bartok and Stravinsky, but not something to be expected of Elgar. In his hands, though, the dissonances are carefully handled and rather than something jarring he cleverly produces an atmosphere that is somehow both restful and uncomfortable. There is sweet music here that softer falls Than petals from blown roses on the grass, Or night dews on still waters between walls Of shadowy granite, in a gleaming pass; Music that gentlier on the spirit lies, Than tired eyelids upon tired eyes; Music that brings sweet sleep down from the blissful skies. Here are cool mosses deep, And in the stream the long-leaved flowers weep, And from the craggy ledge the poppy hangs in sleep. Performance notes: Aim for a difference in sound between the two groups by the use of different mutes. Make sure that there is a good balance between the voices of each group as well as between the groups. Dynamics are reserved throughout. This item should be a point of repose in the programme. As the music is technically in a relatively simple style it is important to pay great attention to musical shape and colour in order to give a performance that is stylish and effective. Shape the phrases confidently and always bear in mind the effect of the stresses of the words. Make the diminuendos at the overlapping points so that the dissonance can be felt but not be overly evident.)