1
THREE SONGS ON POEMS BY AMY LOWELL
for Mezzo–Soprano and Piano
BRAXTON BLAKE
BRAXTON
BLAKE MUSIC
2
The THREE SONGS on poems of Amy Lowell were written for and commissioned by for Kate Nesbit in 1982.
I – The Bookshop..........3 II – Music...................12 III – A Lady................19
BRAXTON
BLAKE MUSIC http://braxtonblake.com 1508 Longshore Drive Ann Arbor, MI 48105 Tel/Fax 734/332-9277
PHOTOCOPYING
3
for Kate Nesbit, in admiration and friendship PROHIBITED
THREE SONGS
Amy Lowell
Braxton Blake
THE BOOKSHOP =62-64 Flowing 3
Pier rot
had
grown
old.
=62-64 Flowing
4
He
wore
spec
ta
8
And kept
a
shop.
7
7 7 copyright © 2009 Braxton Blake
cles
4 rit.
10
=52–54
3
O
=52–54
pi
um
and
rit.
7
7
=78–80 subito
13
hel
le
bore
He
sold
Be
tween
the co
=78–80 subito 7
7
17
rit.
3
rit.
=52–54 3
3
books,
rit.
And
per fumes dis tilled
=52–54 3
3
from
the
veins
vers of the
rit.
5
20
3
(veins)
of
23
=60 piĂš mosso
i
vo
ry
And
=60 piĂš mosso
27
3
poi
sons drawn
from 7
the
lo
tus
6
rit.
31
=56 accel.
3
seeds
one
hun
dred
years
with ered
rit.
=56 accel.
6
6
l’istesso tempo =58-60 35
Freely – independent of piano 5
And
molto accel.
thinned
to the trans
lu
cence
of
al
bas
ter.
=152 molto rit.
=48-50
rit. 39
a
=54–56 3
=60
He sang
a
pale
song
of re
=54–56 rit. =60
6
3
6
7 42
peat
ed
ca
den
zas
In a voice
cold
as
flutes
cantabile
6
6
6
6
3 5
45
And
shrill
5
as
des sic cat ed vi o
lins.
3 3
48
I
7
stood
be
6
fore
7
the
8
=58–62 51
3
3
shop,
Fin ger ing
3
the com fort a ble
vel
lum
of an
8va
8va
=58–62
54
3
an
cient
vo
8va
3
lume,
Turn
ing
8va
58
8va
And the dead
moon 8va
ver
8va
3
its leaves,
o 8va
3
3
looked 8va
o
9 62
3
ver
my
shoul
der
And
8va
66
fell
with a
8va
5 3
green
smooth
3
ness
on
the 8va
8va
70
up
molto rit.
a tempo
molto rit.
a tempo
page. 8va
I
10 74
po
co
read:
“I
am
the
Lord
6
76
thy God,
thou
shallt
have none
oth
er
=126–130
79
3
gods 8va
but
me."
=126–130
Through the
11
rit.
=116–120
poco rit.
82
3 3 3
door
came a chuc kle of
rit.
laugh
=116–120
ter
poco rit. 3
3
=116–120 molto rit.
85
=48–50
=52–54 subito
Like
=116–120 molto rit.
=48–50
the
tap
ping
=52–54 subito 5
5
8ba
87
3
of
un
strung
ket
tle
5
5
5
drums, 5
5
5
8ba
8ba
8ba
5
12 rit. 90
=60 3
For
Pier
3
rot
had ceased sing
rit.
=60
ing
=80 rit.
94 3
3
for a mo
ment
To
=80 rit.
watch me
read
ing.
13
MUSIC
=72
rit.
=68
The neigh bour sits
=72 rit.
in
his win dow
=68 3
3
sost.
rit.
3
=54–56 3
and plays
the flute.
From my 3
3
3
rit.
3
=54–56
3
3
3
3
3
3
6
3
bed
I
can hear
him,
And the round
notes
flut
ter and tap
a
3
3 3
3
3
3
3
3
3
bout the
14
9
=112–120
(senza accel.)
room,
And hit
a
gainst each oth
er
=112–120 8va
accel. repeat boxed figure
11
=112–120 a tempo
(senza rit.)
=128–130 scherzando
Blur ring to un ex pect ed chords.
=112–120 a tempo 8va
=128–130 scherzando rit.
molto rit.
repeat boxed figure poco sost.
=58 (subito)
14
3
It
is
=58 (subito)
sost.
ve
ry
15
18
rit.
3
3
3
beau ti ful,
With the lit
tle
flute
notes
all a
bout
me,
In the
rit.
22
=50
dark
=50
26
accel.
accel.
ness.
accel.
=72
rit.
In the day time
accel.
=72
rit.
cantabile
ad lib.
a tempo
The neigh bor
a tempo
16
29
3
eats
bread
and
on
ions
with
one
hand
3
3
And cop ies
3
3
sost. ma claro
32
rit.
3
a tempo
poco rit. 5
3
mu
sic
with the
o
ther.
He is
rit.
fat
a tempo
poco rit.
3
3
3
marc. 3
3
3
3
ad lib.
36
a tempo accel.
molto
and has a bald
a tempo accel.
head,
molto
3
=72 subito a tempo
So
I
3
do not look
=72 subito a tempo
3
3
at him,
But
run
quick ly
17 39
3
past his win dow.
There is
al
3
ways the sky
to look at,
or the
wa
ter in the
ad lib. 42
rit.
=54
rit.
well!
But when night comes and he plays
rit.
=54 3
his flute,
rit.
3
45
a tempo
accel.
=72–74 3
I think of him
a tempo
as a
accel.
young man,
With
gold
=72–74
3
3
seals
hang
ing from
his
18
rit.
=50
=58–60
48
3
watch,
And a
rit.
3
3
blue
=50
coat
3
with sil
ver but
tons.
=58–60
3
3 3
3
ad lib.
3
51
rit.
=52
rit.
3
As I
rit.
=52
3
lie
in
my bed
rit. 3
sost.
54
3
=46
The
flute
=46
3
notes
push
a
gainst my ears
and lips,
19 56
3
And I
=60–62
5
go
to sleep,
dream
ing.
=60–62
59
rit.
rit.
20
A L ADY =56 accel.
=62 rit.
You
=56 accel.
beau ti
Like an old
3
ope ra tune
3
Or like the sun flood ed
Played up on
silks
accel.
rit.
accel.
rit.
3
the harp si chord;
3
3
Of an eight eenth
ful and fad
a tempo
tempo 5
a tempo
are
=62 rit.
rit. 3
6
a tempo
cen tu
ry
bou
doir.
a tempo
sost.
ed
21 8
3
3
3
In your eyes Smoul der the fal
=40–46 subito
3
len
ro
ses
of out lived mi nutes,
And the
=40–46 subito
sost.
accel.
11
=62 3
3
per
fume
of
your
soul
Is
accel.
sost.
14
With the pun
gence
of sealed spice jars.
vague
and suf fus
=62
ing,
22 16
=72 rit.
3
=62
rit.
=58
3
Your half tones de light me,
And I grow
mad
with gaz
ing
=72 rit.
8va
At your blent
=62
co
rit.
lours.
=58
3
19
=62
accel.
=68
rit.
3
My
=62
21
accel.
=76
=62
vi
gour is a
new mint ed
=68
rit.
pen
ny,
rit.
=70 rit. 3
Which I
=76
cast
at your feet
=62
Ga ther it up
rit.
=70 rit.
from the
23 23
=62
rit.
=40
dust,
=72
That its
rit.
spar kle may a
=62
muse you.
=62 rit.
sost.
=40
=72
rit.
=62
24 B C
R
A
X
T
O
N
B
L
H
A
M
B
E
R
M
A
U
K S
E I
C
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BRAXTON
BLAKE MUSIC http://braxtonblake.com 1508 Longshore Drive Ann Arbor, MI 48105 Tel/Fax 734/332-9277