water songs

"water songs" by Erik Texter is a 3-movement song cycle for piano and mezzo-soprano. The piece includes texts from H. D. and Emily Dickinson, two female poets from the Northeastern United States.

song cycle for piano and mezzo-soprano (7’30”)

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water songs is a 3-movement song cycle for piano and mezzo-soprano. The second movement acts as a solo piano interlude between the two vocal movements. The piece features water-related texts from H.D. (Hilda Doolittle, 1886-1961) and Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), two female poets from the Northeastern United States.

i. oread

Whirl up, sea—

whirl your pointed pines,

splash your great pines

on our rocks,

hurl your green over us,

cover us with your pools of fir.

H. D. (1914)

ii. pool

(solo piano)

iii. the outlet

My river runs to thee:

Blue sea, wilt welcome me?

My river waits reply.

Oh sea, look graciously!

I'll fetch thee brooks From spotted nooks,—

Say, sea, Take me!

Emily Dickinson (1860)

  • premiered 10/21/22 by Kathleen Carter and Erik Texter