SATB choir and piano
If I Can Stop One Heart From Breaking
by
Daniel Sabzghabaei (2015)
If I Can Stop One Heart From Breaking If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain; If I can ease one life the aching, Or cool one pain, Or help one fainting robin Unto his nest again, I shall not live in vain. -Emily Dickinson (1830 – 1886)
Notation
-Feathered beaming indicates a gradual change in the speed of the notes. -In the example here: 32nd notes to 8th notes and 8th notes to 32nd notes. -Gradual fade to niente.
Pedaling and Tempo Phrasing -Pedaling in the work is very specific, as is the tempo phrasing. -In general, the piano should let every gesture ring to create a large sense of space and depth throughout the work. -In regards to tempo phrasing: there are a plethora of accel., rit., and rubato markings throughout. -These are integral in performance and should be adhered to. -A constant shift between motion and stagnation should be felt as the piece progresses.
c.a. 3:00 minutesi Cover art: Black Hollyhock Blue Larkspur by Georgia O’Keeffe
If I Can Stop One Heart From Breaking Daniel Sabzghabaei
Emily Dickinson
Delicately q = 80 Soprano
4 &4
Œ
Ó
Œ
nœ
If
Alto
& 44
rit.
accel.
π
∑
Œ
2 4 œ œ œ œ # œ- œ œ- œ # œ-œ œœ I
Œ
can
p
Bass
Piano
V 44
Œ
stop
Ó
Œ #œ #œ #œ #œ
tumbling
∑
P
Œ nœ
n wfwith weight
& 44 # œ # œ # œ # œ n w °
Ó
heart from
42
one
one
? 44 & 44 P
∑
one
n œ n œ-œ œœ can
Tenor
stop
Ó
3 # >œœ .. 8
œ-œ œœ
heart from
break
38 œœ . . > break
f 4 # ww> 4 -
5 4
ing,
f 44 n w>w -
45
ing,
42 # œ-œ œœ
38 # >œœ ..
f 44 # ww>
45
42 Œ
>œ . 38 œ .
f > 44 b ww
45
heart from
F œ
from
break
break
-
-
ing,
ing,
∑
42
∑
38
∑
44
∑
∑
42
∑
38
∑
44
∑
Daniel Sabzghabaei, 2015
45 ?
45
2 & 45 Ó
Pdolce # n œœ # œ- # œ - œ a tempo Œ Œ ‰ 42 œ œ œœ œ 44 b n ww
. 45 ˙˙ .
œœ Œ O
44
5 &4 Ó
Pdolce Œ Œ ‰ œ 42
5 4 ˙˙ ..
œœ Œ
O
4 4
O
4 4
O
4 4
rit. e rubato
a tempo
6
S
A
6
∑
& 45 œ œ f ? 45
°
œ
# œ n œJ n œ
œ œ œ ˙. R Pgently
vain;
œ- œ n œ œ 44 n n ww -
shall not live in
2 4
∑
?5 4
B
shall not live in
I
5 V4
T
Pno.
I
∑
42
∑
42
Fwith weight Ó Œ ‰ b œ b œ 45 ˙ .
4 4
∑
2 4
vain;
Fwith weight 5 Ó b b ˙˙ 4 ˙˙ .. vain;
4 4
4 &4 Ó
S
Œ
anxiously
44
∑
If
A
4 &4
∑
# œ-œ I
Œ
œœ
can
T
B
ease
œ
œ-œ
4 &4
∑ # wf
confidently
& 44
ease
Ó
Œ
œœ
one
œœ
F
∑
∑
2 4 #œ œ-
#œ
œœ
life
2 4
one
one
? 44 10
Pno.
∑
œ-œ
P
can
4 V4
45
&
the
œ-œ
œœ
life
the
2 4 # œœ -
œœ
life
the
f œ
42 Œ
the
44
4 nœ #œ #œ #œ #œ 4 ° 10
a tempo
p
#œ
#œ #œ #œ 45 Ó Œ Œ n œ # œ p
∑
accel. 10
œœ Œ
vain;
44
∑
œ Œ
rit.
ƒ 5 > 8 œ. œ.
œœ
a
a tempo
5 4
-
ƒ 5 > 8 œœ ..
œœ
ƒ 5 # >œ . 8 a
-
œ
a
-
ƒ 85 # œœ .. >
œœ
a
-
p gently ˙- .
˙
ching,
5 4
pgently
# ˙˙- ..
˙˙
ching,
pgently 5 # ˙- . 4
ching,
3 4
˙
3 4
˙˙
43
ching,
pgently 45 ˙˙ ..
3 4
∑
2 4
∑
5 8
∑
5 4
∑
3 4
∑
42
∑
85
∑
45
∑
43
3
S
A
Slower, reflectively q = 45 p 15 carressingly < > & 43 Œ Œ œ ‰ 45 ˙ cool pain, P <> dolce & 43 Œ ‰ œ # œ- # œ 45 ˙ Or cool one
T
B
V 43 a wÓ
carressingly
œœ- ‰ 5 n ˙˙ 4
<>
cool
3 &4
∑
& 43
∑
?
19
S
˙˙ ..
∑
45 Ó
Œ Œ
P ‰
b ϡ
œ-œ œœ œœ ..
œ
help
œ. œ
œ
œ. œ
œ- œ œ .
help
œ- b œ œ .
p Œ ‰ œ #œ. œ œ œ
œ- œ œ .
Or help some fain - ting
4 4
∑
44
∑
rob - in
Ÿ~~~~~~~~~ œ œ. (œ ) # >œ # œ # œ Œ π P 6
#œ #œ #œ °
&
P b œ-
‰
a
3 P 5 ‰ 4 nœ bœ bœ nœ œ œ œ
T
B
œ
œ
Un - to
nest
a
? Œ
‰.
Pœ œ
his
œ
œ
œ
Un - to
his
nest
a
‰ # w n w & fsinging ‰
19
Pno.
a
œ
√
nœ #œ #œ œ nœ
-
nœ
~~~~
#œ nœ nœ œ nœ nœ & ≈ b bb œœœœ .. ˙˙˙˙ .. . . precisely
-
-
˙. ˙.
œ œ b œ œœ Uœœ .. -
-
œ
gain
gain,
U
b œœ ..
5 ˙. 4
Uœ .
#˙.
Uœ .
gain,
45
‰
7 16
‰ ‰
7 16
‰
7 16
‰
7 16
gain,
45 ?
‰
O
from afar
45 Œ
V Œ
‰
O
some rob - in
rit.
P ‰. œ #œ
‰
some rob - in
espress.
∑
&
‰
some rob - in
3
A
O
O
Or
44
firmly
œœ .. œœ
help
n ˙-
∑
&
Or
Or
pain,
5 4
p
N œœ
p 44 b ˙-
P 5 Œ n œ n n ˙˙ .. #œ ‰ 4 p carressingly cool pain,
15
Pno.
˙.
44
<>
p Œ Œ
? 43
pain,
˙.
p 44 n ˙ n ˙-
45 Ó
7 16
∑ Œ
Œ
f
U sternly
‰
œ > °
7 16
4 Faster, with life q = 55 7 ∑ & 16
∑
∑
A
7 & 16
∑
∑
∑
T
7 V 16
∑
∑
∑
B
? 16 7
∑
∑
∑
21
S
7 bœ bœ bœ bœ bœ & 16 F 10 flowing bœ bœ ? 16 7 bœ bœ bœ Œ
21
Pno.
(4+3)
√ bœ bœ bœ bœ bœ
j œ- .
sim.
≈ nœ f >
Œ
10 bœ bœ bœ bœ bœ
j œ- . ≈ #œ >
€ bœ bœ bœ bœ bœ
œ- . J
Œ
≈
10 bœ bœ bœ bœ bœ
nœ >
S
&
∑
5 8
∑
2 4
∑
4 4
A
&
∑
5 8
∑
2 4
∑
4 4
T
V
∑
85
∑
42
∑
44
?
∑
5 8
∑
2 4
∑
4 4
24
B
√ bœ bœ bœ bœ & b œ n œ-j. 10 bœ bœ ? bœ bœ bœ ≈ nœ Œ >
24
Pno.
rit. e rubato
bœ bœ bœ bœ 85 b œ œ œ- . 11 bœ bœ 58 b œ b œ b œ ‰ b œŒ
bœ bœ bœ bœ bœ 42 &
42
U
44
> lunga 4 b œ n œ œ b œ bœ bœ 4 10
Reflectively q = 50 & 44
U
& 44
U
27
S
A
43
∑
fsternly œœ -
Ó
I
shall not live
42
T
B
V 44 ? 44 & 44
27
Pno.
S
U
43
∑
U U
43
∑
U ? 3 ∑
T
B
>j nœ
# œ-
42
f
Œ
vain.
prelieved
Œ œ b œ œ 44 ˙ . œ ˙˙.
œœ œœ- œœ- n œ- . b œ.
44 n ˙ . ˙.
not
live in
not
Ó
suddenly
U
œœ œœ œœ b œ . - - n œ- .
I'll
vain.
U
b b ˙˙-
live in
vain.
42
∑
∑
44 Ó
42
∑
∑
44 Ó
œ
œ
can
stop
42 # œ
œ
one
Œ Œ
prelieved
&
rit. e rubato
I
∑
If
∑
? Ó
p -œ Œ œ
n w & f & nw
fsternlyœœ
live in
Œ Œ
heart
Œ #œ #œ #œ #œ Œ P Œ
(in new tempo)
ƒ> ˙˙
œ
from
break
P ƒ 3 3 3 3 3 -œ 3 >˙ # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ # œ œ œ 42 # œ œ œ œ œ #œ
V
32
Pno.
Ó
With life q = 70 accel. p 32 -˙ #œ & Ó &
42
vain.
vain.
Œ ‰ œœ œœ 4 # œœ œœ °
If
A
fsternly œœ -
I'll
43
∑
*Wait for sound to clear
& 44
Ó
not
Œ Œ
prelieved U 4 ˙ œ n œ œ œ 4 ˙˙ .. Œ
in
œœ œœ œœ n œ . - - b œ- .
I'll
5
prelieved U 44 n ˙˙ ..
˙˙
Fdolce œœ ‰ 24 # œœ # œœ œœ- œœ Œ Œ
43
∑
a tempo
rit.
I
can stop
Fœ J #œ
Œ
If
If
# # œœ I
one
œœ can
heart
I
œœ œ œ nœ #œ stop
one
heart
∑ ∑
from break
œ J
œ
can
stop
œœ from
-
-
24 œJ # œ
one heart
-
from
-
-
42 2 4
-
break
ƒ
> b ˙˙
U
Ï 44
# ww>
Ï 4 4
U
-
-
ƒ œ # >˙ J
œ œ œ 2 œ œ # œœ 4
œœ œ nœ break
-
#œ #œ #œ #œ ° 45
ing,
ww>
5 4
ing,
Ï U> w 44 w
-
Ï
45
ing,
U
w> 4 #w 4
-
-
∑
∑
∑
∑
44 4 4
5 4
ing,
45
∑ ∑
?
5 4
6 Nostalgically q = 50 rit. e rubato p œ5 Ó Œ Œ ‰ &4 42 # œ œ œ œ 44 ˙
U
37
S
I
A
T
B
? 45 Ó
vain.
p Œ Œ ‰ œ 42 œ œ # œ œ 44 #˙
& 45 Ó V 45 Ó
shall not live in
p p
I
shall not live in
œœ œœ œœ - - -
42 œœ -
œœ œœ œœ - - -
42 œœ -
I
shall not
I
shall not
live
œœ œœ -
44 w w
live
in
w
˙˙
vain.
44 w ˙
in
#˙
w
U
ww
U
ww
vain.
U
ww
vain.
ww
œ #œ œ bœ in no hurry
& 45
37
Pno.
? 45
P
∑
delicately
˙ °
˙.
42 42
∑ ∑
44 44
∑
Ó
ΠP
carressingly
∑
&
O
ww
ww
˙
O
œ °
œ œ œ U w
13 #œ œ œ œ œ
π
#U w
gently
O
O