Two Songs for Soprano and Harp
Judith Lang Zaimont
About this work:
Two Songs for Soprano and Harp (1978)
"At Dusk in Summer" (Adrienne Rich)
"The Ruined Maid" (Thomas Hardy)
Publisher: Lyra Music (10'10")
Commissioned by the New York State Music Teachers Association
First Performance: November 1978 - Saratoga, NY
Other Performances: College Music Society; Society of Composers, International; Res Musica Baltimore
"Imaginative settings for voice and harp."
-- American Music
"Very clever, professional treatments of interesting texts. Neither song goes on a note longer than it should. Zaimont's work has both quality and personality."
-- High Fidelity
"Though this marvelous, exuberant pair of songs scarcely constitutes a 'cycle,' it does fully exploit the meaning of the poetry, especially as realized in the finely wrought performance."
-- Notes
"Judith Lang Zaimont's two songs for high voice and harp were for me real high points. The harp writing is substantial, varied, sonorous, and idiomatic without clichés; the vocal lines are gracious and expressive, with a relaxed and accurate treatment of text prosody. I can't see any forward-looking harpist keeping these out of personal repertoire."
-- Barney Childs, Perspectives of New Music
Year composed: 1978
Duration: 00:10:10
Ensemble type: Chamber or Jazz Ensemble, Without Voice:Other Combinations, 2-5 players
Instrumentation: 1 Harp, 1 Soprano