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Featured at the Let it Be New concert event hosted by CSI

An Abandoned Woman's Lament
for Soprano Voice & Piano

Program Notes

Christina Rossetti (1830-1894) was an English writer of romantic, devotional, and children's poems. In 1847 Rossetti began experimenting with verse forms such as sonnets, hymns, and ballads, while drawing narratives from the Bible and folk tales. Many of her early pieces often meditate on death and loss in the Romantic tradition. "Echo," a poem Rossetti wrote in 1854 follows the same themes. Within the poem, the speaker tries to recall a fading memory; they dream of the memory and fall into a death-like slumber so that they can remain immersed in the past that the speaker so desperately longs for. The link between dream and death is very strong, the fact that Rossetti romanticized the past in her poem imbues positive attributes and adopts a longing tone while inviting the memory to encapsulate the speaker who is willing to fall into a deep sleep similar to that of death to relive a memory that is fading from their mind. The fading memory the speaker is attempting to remember serves as an anchor to happier times and thus the reason why they try so hard to stay in their state of slumber.

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ORGINAL TEXT

Come to me in the silence of the night;

Come in the speaking silence of a dream;

Come with soft rounded cheeks and eyes as bright

As sunlight on a stream;

Come back in tears,

O memory, hope, love or finished years.

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Oh dream how sweet, too sweet, too bitter sweet,

Whose wakening should have been in Paradise,

Where should brimful of love abide and meet;

Where thirsting longing eyes

Watch the slow door

That opening letting in, lets out no more.

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Yet come to me in dreams, that I may live

My very life again tho' cold in death:

Come back to me in dreams, that I may give

Pulse for pulse, breath for breath:

Speak low, lean low,

As long ago my how long ago.

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Originally, when composing this piece I thought of the poem more like a siren's song especially with the line "Come to me." As well as the constant repetition of the word "Come" within the poem. Which is why I emphasized the phrase more within the composition as well as paired it with an eerie and melancholy melody. But upon further research and looking through different analyses of the poem, I noticed how closely linked the themes were to death and mourning. Which is why I thought the title "An Abandoned Woman's Lament" would be fitting for the piece. This poem, in my opinion feels strongly tied to women who have lost their children or husbands and have been left behind. While I still somewhat kept the idea of a siren song, I envision it more as a lullaby calling for the ones who have moved on. But when the loved ones don't answer the plea becomes more angered. But towards the end, the piece calms down and reflects the motif and the more melancholic emotions of the beginning. Almost like a bitter acceptance of the loss the woman has endured. 

HOW TEXT IS WRITTEN IN SCORE

Come to me.

Come to me in the silence of night;

Of night, come to me. 

Come in the speaking silence of a dream; come to me.

Come with soft rounded cheeks and eyes as bright 

As sunlight on a stream; 

Come  back in tears.

Oh dream how sweet, too sweet, too bitter sweet, 

Whose wakening should have been in Paradise,

Where souls brimful of love adobe and meet;

Watch the slow door

That opening, letting in, lets out no more.

Yet come to me in dreams, that I may live

My very life again tho' cold in death,

Tho' cold in death. Come back to me in dreams, that I may give

Pulse for pulse, breath for breath:

Speak low, lean low,

As long ago.

Oh dream how sweet, too sweet, too bitter sweet

Whose wakening should have been in Paradise. 

*Regarding Painting Below*
Though "An Abandoned Woman's Lament" is not inspired by the painting The Lunatic of Etretat. I believe the meaning and emotion behind the painting closely represents the vision of my piece. 

Performer(s): Olivia Knutsen (soprano) & Mary Nerren (piano)

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305-733-5481

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