Six Songs from a Winter's Pillow Book

Jerré Tanner, music Harvey Hess, verse text

Six Songs from a Winter’s Pillow Book a song cycle for contralto or mezzosoprano and piano

Malama Music Honolulu · Hawai’i

Six Songs from a Winter’s Pillow Book a song cycle for contralto or mezzo-soprano and piano

music by Jerré Tanner

English tanka by Harvey Hess

composed for contralto Arlene Samuelson White

Time 29:00

Background

The “Pillow Book” songs began life I 1970 when ethnomusicologist Ricardo Trimillos asked me to compose a work for koto. I countered with setting the cycle of six tanka by Harvey Hess, and he agreed. The premiere and pan-Island tour took place the following fall with Bay-area contralto Arlene Samuelson White. I later transcribed the koto parts for piano, and later still created two orchestral settings: for medium and for full orchestra. Arlene wanted a work that would showcase the full potential of her voice – a three-octave range, ability to leap wide intervals, rapid runs and a deeply expressive lyricism – all elements inherent in this tanka cycle. Technically challenging, the “Six Songs from a Winter’s Pillow Book” is also a deeply rewarding work with the full emotional range from despair to ecstatic elation. -JT

Performance

Technically challenging, the “Six Songs from a Winter’s Pillow Book” is also a deeply rewarding work with the full emotional range from despair to ecstatic elation. It can be performed by either a contralto with alternate high notes or a mezzo-soprano with altered low notes, or ideally by a singer with an extended range. I think of this cycle as almost a one-character opera with the action advancing through a set of short scenes or even as linked music videos. The intent is to be highly dramatic and a virtuosic tour de force. -JT

About the composer

Jerré Tanner (b. 1939 - ), a long-time resident of Hawaii, has devoted much of his creative energy to the creation of a repertory of music based on Hawaiian culture including opera, symphonies and other symphonic music, art songs and original choral works and settings of traditional Hawaiian songs. He holds an MA degree in composition from San Francisco State University, has been awarded the Hawaii Artist Fellowship from the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts [HSFCA], has received grants from the HSFCA, the National and Hawaii Bicentennial Commissions, two commissions from the American Composers Forum’s “Continental Harmony” commissioning program for the states of New Mexico and North Carolina and has been recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra and the Prague Chamber Orchestra.

See also

Biography www.jerretanner.com http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvey_Hess

YouTube Tanner music videos http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=jerre+tanner

© 1972 Jerré Tanner & Harvey Hess · all rights reserved Malama Music · 626 Coral Street, Ste. 2605 · Honolulu, Hawaii 96813-5910 phone 808.224.1955 · email armupo@hawaii.rr.com · website armupo.com (under construction)

Six Songs from a Winter's Pillow Book

Text by Harvey Hess

Prelude

Veloce Agitato ( )     1        Piano                Accel.

8     P

       





      

 







 

 

 





       

                                                          

Music by Jerré Tanner

       

  







                           

Adagio ()                 

         

 1 Veloce Agitato ()                                                                                       

14

P

 

19

P

 

 

23

P

 

                                          

  

 

  

                                           

                                                                                             © 1972 Jerré Tanner & Harvey Hess · all rights reserved

  

4

P

P

2                    28                                                                                                     32                                                                                             

37



P

  

P

    

                

             

42

P

  

     

   

    

3 Adagio                            

                          

Accel. e Dimin.

48                         

                  

                

       

() Accel. e Dimin.                                             

       

()

4 Adagio                               

                                  

                      

           ()            

         

       

5

                                                        

54

P

                  

60

P

P

  

                            

            64                                                     cresc.                       6  Pesante        68                                                               

   

73

P

   

                                                     

      

P

      

5 ()                                        cresc.            

   

         

          

      

  

 

     

    

   

                                          

                    

                    

 

6 77



P

 80



P



83



P

  



P

   

  

   

    



 

I:



 



 

 



     

re

 





   

    

-

     

quit - ed.

8 Adagio            



    

  



Adagio

       

  

 



 

 



      

  



                                       

  

                                        3  3

light



 ()

   





    

 

      





     

   

 

un - re - quit - ed

       

is



 

   



  

  





you

  

  

    

   

7 Lento () 89     

  

      

My

  

 

    

  

96

P

  

  

96

V

   

  

89

V

  

    



     

 









            





 



for





       

        

   

 

V



      

 

102

P

V

 



102

          108     

  

  

       

                    



 



108

112

V















My

un



-

re

9 Più Mosso                        

    

light

P

 

7

 

 



          

for

   



quit - ed.

you

-

 



P

                        118

V

P





quit - ed

               











            

yes,



is



re -



           

          

I

          118                                                                  



Allegro ()                  





  

                                    11



 





10 Pesante ( )

112





know

Yes,





you

Meno Mosso                    

8

  

124

V

 

try,





you

                         

124

P

  











Al



128



P





128

V

   

 

                       

  

132

V

 



be

a

P

         136

V

P





 

  



try...





 



 Rallentando



                                     

-

  

 



 12 Adagio ()   though

yours

Accel.

         

                





star

132



 

  



    

Più Mosso              

 

    

 

far,

Pesante, Meno Mosso 3                 136                                                                   3



        



far

Stringendo 







                              

140

V

P



    

 









  

                     

mine



 

154

V

P

 

fla

161

 

P

  

mine,

13 Adagio ()



-

-

 

           



                 

   

   

       



 





      

-

 



yours.

II: Later that Night, in a Blizzard 



                  ten.                                             all

  

161

V

is



Adagio ()   154                  14



 

 



from

                  ten.    



146

P



Molto   Rall.           140                                      

146

V

 



9

gra

                     



 -











 



     

  -

-

 

      

tion

                  



15 Veloce Agitato ()     Con



 





    

 

  

-

             comes,

                   



10

  

165

V









                

165

P



V



168



P

 171

V

P



 

     

 

 

   

  

 

    

  

  

      

 



     

    

  





   

  

   

         comes,

16 171                                                           





                comes

my



way,

                                                                                    

174

P

     



174

V

  



168



           

11

            comes my  179                  179

V

P



185

V

P



     185            

P



P

    

you,

 







          

 

         al ways         196               196

V



 



 

    

 





 you

           

  

   





   

fire  3  19                                      3       fire

me,



 

 17    

  

   way, Pesante, Meno Mosso                       comes my

18 a Tempo ()           cresc.              

     

  al ways fire me,            191                                                                                           191

V

 

       way,                                            







      me,





  

  

  

3

Dimin. 3



            3

3

   





         

al

      3

3

  

-

         3

3

ways,

  



     

3

3

 

12 V

al

      

201

P



       

  ways,

201

-

 

     



 





what

-

V

   may 



206

P

       3      

211

V

P



3

I,

20   211     

 

     

                3

               

216

P





    

3







3

3



         3

         3



       

        

       



your

love,

                                      



  



                   

  

er



 am

       

-





3

3

    

3

       

-

 

                     3              

    

3

I



 

                      

3

-



3

3



  



3

216

V



come.

 

ev

3          3                     Dimin.            3

206

 

 

  



   

      

  



13



219

V



219



P

  

  



   

   



222



P



227

V



  

  

P

  

  











    

     

 

      

  



 

               



21

 

 

am













                     

                                     

                         am am   your love,    232                                                                  





I



  



 

 



   

  

    

   





love,



232

V



your

227

P

   



 



222

V



         your

  



                 

14 237

V

P



 

 237           



                 

  

 



243

247

V

 

247

P

ev

-

er

  oth





love,







   

        

    

-

 

what

-

er



-

er,

  

-



flame

I

   

     

   

 

 legato    



am your

               

()                  -

23 Allegro       

   

-

-

                    

 









you

dis

-

                                                                             

                  

                

am your



 251                                                                                         cov

P



Morendo                     

251

V

  

     

 

            

I



love,

P



22 Meno Mosso                                                                          

love,

243

V

    





 

flame





                      

            

    

  



255

V







you

15





                                           

261

V

P







    

269

    

  275

V



275

P

    





 



            



  





  

    



I

    

  

          

 



   





win - ter,

    





             



I am your 25 Adagio () 269     P



     261                  

III:

V







24 Adagio, Perdendosi                            

dis - cov

255

P



      am your



 











 

   





       aniente 

 



 

a niente



 



win - ter,

     

  



                      

                 I am your win - ter, you 26                           

    

16

 



280

V





say,

 

P





So,

V

     

  Christ

  

-

-

        

 

289

P

 

     

P

 

  

-

   

                                       

 



pre

27 Adagio espressivo                         

-

rose,





ter

    

       

   

say.

-

mas,

 

 

    



    

 





 

    

sents you

         

 



                              

-



   

              

 28 3       3                                         3  3  3   3                                              a

294

-

                  

                

294

V

win

  



                            

  

289

as

   



   



     then,

284

P



                             284

V



you

 



280



 

a





rose,

                      

17

  

 

299

V

299



P

         

302

P

   

305

V



                    3  3           3

3



   



302

V

     





 



 

 a

                                 

 



 

29                                                        3 3                                            3       rose,

3



pro



-

 

-

-

      

  



mise,

spark

                    3  3 3 3                                                          

305

P

3

308

V











in





snow,

  



3  3                                                                                                    3 3   3 3

308

P

18

  



311

V

ex

-

pect





-

ing

 



bloom,

                                      3   3         3                                        

 

311

P

 



313

V

will

     

316

V

I

                  

313

P

  

do?

 

                       will  

                           

316

P

 

319

V

 

319

P

 

 Molto Ritard.              



 

do?

       

 

Morendo                 



 

    will

I

                                               I

           

  

 



do?

             

     

                      

    

 







 

 

a niente



19

IV: On a Gift of Flowers, Incense and Candles

  

323

V



30 Allegro () What

is not

in -censed





















 

what



was

  









sent

          



fra

    

3

-

 346

V

 

 

what

          

346

P

 







from

        was







 

          sent



in

 

fad - ed

-

   

      



censed

          





past,



  

         

       

 

   

 

past,





 



   

from fad - ed

   





                               

     

339

not





    

 



              

               

  

grance







grance,

    

is

                 

339

P

     



31

V





332

P

      fra -



332

V

sent

 



323

P

was

 





  

   

  

         

  



   32                           good

and

20



352

V







bad,

                    

  



             fra

-

con licenza

   

365

V



   

      

370

V

bloom

 

   

  

-

ing,

 

it

              5

 

 

   

bloom

 

      



in -censed

           



   

yet



                        

370

P

   



a niente

is not

 

   



3





         

365

P

 



 

Meno Mosso                    

    

33 Allegretto ()                             5 

           

  



 



  



grance,

359

P



 



359

V

 

                 

352

P

 



seems

34    

a

  

 



pres - ent

  

cresc.



                          

-

 

ing,

 

bloom





-

                                            

21

 

 

374

V

 



ing,

 liberamente          



bloom

-

3                                               con licenza  5  5                         



374

P

                 



379

V

-

         

379

P

  

383

V

     a  pre       35

  

walks

-



sent

 through

 

   dusks

blue,

 

           5



    

bloom - ing



  

      



           

in

 

   





 



 



           

weed

stalked

   

  

                   

      

bloom

-

36 Stringendo                            

                                                           

388

P

ing,

a Tempo                 5    

388

V

-

                                             

383

P

-



 



 

22

                 

                

392

V

-

-

-

           

392

P

-

-

-

 

  



 -



  



3

sent

 

402

     

in



           



3 3 3                         

37 Meno Mosso             cresc.             

402

P

     

a

bloom

 

399

V

-

5                      396                      5       

pre

P



5

399

V

-



ing,

P

-

                                       



396

V

Allegretto ()

-

          

weed

                  



-



-

 

 stalked

    

  



ing

                



         

      

-



walks

            



   

      





 

      

    

 

   

     

  

V

P

through

dusks

  

38               

 

cadenza



in

 

 

P

 

39 415   P

 

 











  



 

 











 

     





  

 

 

   

    







        

 





           

  





  

  



a Tempo                  

  





blue.

 

       



  

dusks

  

      

5

5

ten.



Andante ()            



            

                walks through  Rall.        410                         

V:



 

 

415

V



blue,

       

410

V



stalked

weed

408

P



Pesante, Meno Mosso  405                                                                     408

V

  



405

23



 



 



 

           

24

 



423

V













On

                            

40

423

P



432

V









   

438

P

 

   

 

 



 

















sec



-

   

445



ond

look,



  

 

 

    

cress,

P



   



 



   

    

           wa

   

 

 

-







 

 

-

 

 

 

 

 

      



ter

-

Ritard.          

41 a Tempo, Accel.                                 

     

-



       

 





look,

wa

445

V



sec - ond



the





438

V

   

                                           

432

P

the



on

 

-

  

ter

-



cress,

42 Allegretto ()      

                           

   

   

 



 

 

    

   



451

V

wa

-







 

             

V

 

  -

 



 -



fed

          

 



     

460

V

spring

-

460

P

 

 

the

   

legato

steams











of



the



 

 -

-

-

brook, spring

    

 



steams,

of

       

-



the

   





43 Adagio ()                                        brook:

fed

                                  





  

 

steams

       



    

      



spring

the

         

     

-







fed

-



                          

brook,

457

P



-

                           

453

457

cres



ted

P

cress



453

V

-



      

451

P

ter

 



    

25

     

the

               



 steams

 



        

26

V



 



465

 

of

the

spring



                    3 3            

P

fed

  

3

V



  of    

470

P

 



  

   

     473

V

-

-

V

      be

  

475

P

-

tween

   



-

   

fed

  

 

brook:  

drifts,

the

spring

  

                    

-

   





            y,





springs

   

    



 

                   

Ritard.     

                            





Dream -

                



   







 

Dream

               



      

 

spring  



            



3

           

      

  

475



 the

3

3

y,

473

P

brook:

3





470



44 Allegretto ()  3 3                                           

-

465



 

V

P

V



  



478





27

 





snow star 45 Moderato ()   478                                            sub.                       480         ry,

                                                                               

480

P

  

482

V

Dream

-

-



-



-



 -

  





y,

be

-

                         

482

P

484

V

  



tween

  

484

P





 



 





 





drifts,







be

-



tween







     

                       

   

28 486

V

 







   

P

P







  





    

  

    

495

blos

            

-

-

som

star

-

-

     

 

-

           

 -

 

46   Andante ()                  

-

   

ing,



        



blos

-

        

    

         som-

 

              blos som - ing, blos - som - ing, star -snow - y       Meno Mosso                                                                      

        

-



  

    

a Poco Rall. e Dimin.     Poco        491                                                                                  

ing,

P



ry

495

V

   

snow    Rall.   Molto Rall.            488                                              4                                 491

V





   



488

V



 

the spring springs           486                                                                                             drifts,

P





    



 

    

500

V

blos

 

    

-

-

 

500

P

       

505

V





VI:







    

47 Allegretto ()            Though

not

dawn,

505

P

514

V

  not

514

P

         

522

V



dawn,

       

       -

som, blos



ten.   











-

som

Adagio

  











-

 



 

 ing. 

 

 

 

 









 

  

 

    

 









 





though

   

 

 















          

            

 

     

6









 



though

not

48                                                        

dawn,

             6   



ten.



522

P





29







6

   

     

  

6

    

  



6



       

30

  

524

V





 





                                                               9 9  6 6       9

(Œ =Œ.)

524

P



526

V

         



9

      

526

P



528

V



9

9

     9

 





Poco a Poco Dimin.                                           

9





                                                                                       

528

P

530

V





                                

530



P



 

V

P





531

31



   I see a ci Con Alcuna Licenza 531                                  



536

V





536



P



           

             

   

shell,

50      

       

542

P

V

  

freed

547

P



   

        





from

        





shell,

   

                 

 

I

see



 

a

ci



  



ice





-

ca

 

 





-

     da

       

 



 



freed,







da



      



 



-



                          547

 





49 Allegro ()                                     ca

                   

     

542

V



   

      



          





          

thawed



 on

a

            

32



551

V

 51





tree;

P

 

 

555

V



560

V

I Pesante                                             





  

 cresc.               

 

freed,

 

freed,



560

P









P

    

 

 

 

Stringendo             

                         

               

ah,

       

               from ice thawed aTempo                     564                                          

           



564

V



see a ci ca da shell, freed,     I         52                             555                                                             see,

P



                                    

551





 

             

 on

 a

                          

33

 

V

tree,

P

thawed





    freed

V

P



ah,

     







   



tree,

  

   

        

 

   







freed

ah,

                                                              

 

       



      

  







   

ah,





       

     





Stringendo                                             

 







Moderato () wil - lows,                     580                                                     54

P

  





                               

Accel. ah,   576                     580

V



a

        

                                  

576

on



 

572

P





53                                                     

568               

572

V





568

34 587

V



587



P





wil - lows,

      



P







           



  ri



 



ice - bent

   



limbs

             









-

 



zons,



 





brush

     



               

  

                       

608

P



















55 Andante    Poco a Poco Rall. e Dimin.          594                                                                                                   

608

V





wil - lows' pearl - y









brush

601

P



Meno Mosso              





601

V







594

V







ho

  -



  



6



ri

-

 5



       

zons,

 

 

 





         



56 Adagio ()











ho

  -

ri

ho -

 -

zons,

                      





 Rall.              

where

stars

 







      dim.

616

V



616



P



    







a niente





  







    



     

V

P





      

 





        6



   











    



 





dawn,

though



  

 

dawn,





 

 

 

not 6

    

      



  

 

 

  

 



 











 



3

 

  

dawn,

            





              6

 





              

   





not

 





3

 

    



    



58



638

Though

not



638

 

Poco a Poco Accel. e Cresc.   





6

 















6



633

P



           

633

V



though

626

P











57 Allegretto ()     a niente 

626

V





35



 

         6

   

36 640

V



640



P

          

 



not



P

V

 

P







         





3

6



    

6





     

6



  dawn.....

          



    

9





   



9



9

9







                                       9

644

                 6

6



 644

 

          

though



 

642



6

642

V

 





9

9

9















