Michael Nyman Songs & Arias

Book excerpt: Michael Nyman: Songs & Arias presents sixteen songs and seven arias for high voice and Piano from across Michael Nyman’s varied and exhilarating output: songs from his celebrated film scores, like The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover; from recent operas like Facing Goya; several concert song cycles, and two songs that stand independently. There can be few music lovers today who do not immediately recognise Nyman’s distinctive instrumental writing. But, until now, they may have been less familiar with the vocal music that forms so important a part of his creative personality. The wide range of sources from which Nyman draws the inspiration for his settings, including Rimbaud and Celan set in their original languages, fragments of Mozart, Pessoa and contemporary poets, demonstrates a composer of unusual learning and lively interests. This book is an important resource and extension to the repertoire of any high voice singer. Songlist: - If (The Diary Of Anne Frank) - Mozart On Mortality - Miserere (The Cook, The Thief, His Wife And Her Lover) - Allez! On Préviendra Les Reflux D'Incendie (L'Orgie Parisienne) - Quand Tes Pieds Ont Dansé (L'Orgie Parisienne) - Es War Erde In Ihnen (Six Celan Songs) - Nachtlich Geschurzt (Six Celan Songs) - Where The Bee Sucks (Ariel Songs From Prospero's Books) - Full Fathom Five (Ariel Songs From Prospero's Books) - Before You Can Say, 'Come' And 'Go' (Ariel Songs From Prospero's Books) - While You Here Do Snoring Lie (Ariel Songs From Prospero's Books) - Come Unto These Yellow Sands (Ariel Songs From Prospero's Books) - I Am An Unusual Thing (Letters, Riddles And Writs) - Why (The Diary Of Anne Frank) - Silence Emerges (Cycle Of Disquietude) - I'm Riding On A Tram (Cycle Of Disquietude) - He Sang In A Gentle Voice (Cycle Of Disquietude) - Tortured Prisoner (Facing Goya) - As Noses Move (Facing Goya) - You Are My Son (Facing Goya) - This Is What I Found Today (Man And Boy: Dada) - Things The Artist Must Not Do Today (Man And Boy: Dada) - Life's Chaos (Acts Of Beauty)