TANIA LEÓN Singin’ Sepia for voice and chamber ensemble
to my mother on her 70th birthday
SINGIN’ SEPIA 1. WIRING HOME
Rita Dove Libero, fast
= ca. 70
5
Tania León (1996)
sul pont.
Violin fltg.
Clarinet in B
Voice Lest 3
(8va sempre)
I
molto legato
Piano l.v.
II
(8ba sempre) sost. Ped. ord. 5
3
5
3
3
5
5 3
3
the
wolves loose their
whis
3
tles
6
and
shop keep ers in quire,
5
6
3 7
senza Ped. © Copyright 1996 by Southern Music Publishing Co., Inc. International Copyright Secured. Printed in the U.S.A. All Rights Reserved.
2 5
(bend pitch)
gliss. gliss.
keep
mov
ing;
7
breve
7
pizz.
(secco)
3
ord.
5
pizz.
arco
3
fltg.
(bend pitch)
breve
though
your knees
flush red as two chapped ap ples
keep
keep
breve
secco breve
secco
senza Ped.
3 11
a tempo
Più mosso
3
3
gl.
3
mov
ing;
head
up,
past
the
3
senza Ped.
13
sub.
3
beg
gar’s
cold
cup,
secco 3
secco
3
3
secco
4
loosely, not too fast
15
fltg.
a tempo 18
3 3 3 3
3
cresc.
3
3
past
fires
3
banked
un
3
der chest
nuts
3
and the trumpet ing
5 20
fltg.
ki osk’s
tales
of
od ys sey
and *
6
/
rallentando
22
un
til,
turn
ing
a
cor
ner,
*) + - Press string at the bass and play keyboard.
you
stand
star
heart break
6 24
(rallentando)
a tempo
(spicc. gliss.)
3
ing:
(g)
am
bushed
by
3
senza Ped.
26 3
3
6
sub.
6
3
a win
3
3
sost. Ped.
dow
of
ca na
ries
7 28
3
3
3
3
Vln.
3
3
Cl.
3
3
bright
3
as a thou
sand
gold
en
3
(sost.)
senza Ped.
Senza misura
31 3
Vln. cresc. 3
Cl.
3
nar
ci
ssi.
8
2. PERSEPHONE ABDUCTED
Rita Dove
Tania León
Blues ( =ca. 50) Violin
Clarinet in B (dark)
(whisper) Voice Sh
She
cried
for
Ma ma,
who did
not
(8va sempre)
I
Piano
8va
II
(8ba sempre)
3
3
(wavy gliss.)
3
hear.
3
3
She
left
with a wild
3
3
3 © Copyright 1996 by Southern Music Publishing Co., Inc. All Rights Reserved.
eye
thrown
9
Poco accel.
5
fltg.
fltg.
3
3
fltg.
3
back,
she
leftwith cur
ses,
rage that with
ered
her fea turesto
3
8
Tempo I
3
3
a
hag’s.
No
3
3 3
one,
No
one can
tell a moth
er
10 11
a tempo
rall.
3
how
to
act:
3
there
are
no
laws
when
3
3
3’’
13 3
3
3
3
(speech)
3
3
3
laws are bro
ken, no names
3
3 3
to
call
3
u
pon.
11
Tempo I ( = ca. 50) accel.
poco accel.
15
fltg.
-
-
3
Some
-
cresc.
say
there’s nou rishment
for
pain,
and
call it
senza Ped.
= 110 17
col legno battuto
pizz.
sempre l.v. fltg.
fltg.
sempre
with rage
Phi
lo
so phy.
That’s
for
the
birds
12 20
fltg.
vul
ture
and
hawk,
the
large
ones
as fast as possible
-
23
fltg.
who
praise
-
the
mir
a
cle
-
of
13 26
fltg.
flight
fltg.
be
cause
they
use
it
-
29
breve
breve
fltg.
breve
so
di
li
gent
ly.
poco rall.
breve
breve
poco rall.
-
14 32
Lento, Blues ad lib.
con sord.
-
-
She
left
us
sing
ing
in
the field,
o
bli
l.v.
l.v.
35
to a whisper
to all but
l.v.
l.v.
the
ache
of
our
own
bent
backs.
vi ous
15
3. THE SLAVE’S CRITIQUE OF PRACTICAL REASONS Rita Dove
Tania León
Molto energico ( = ca. 76)
arco
pizz.
pizz.
Violin fltg.
Clarinet in B
Voice Ain’t
got
ain’t got a rea son to
run a
way
(8va sempre)
I
Piano
II (8ba sempre)
5
senza Ped.
not
molto accel.
pizz.
arco
one
would
save
my life
© Copyright 1996 by Southern Music Publishing Co., Inc. All Rights Reserved.
least
ways
16 8
pizz.
Tempo I arco
-
leastways,
not one
wouldsave
my
So
life.
senza Ped.
12
Andante libero
Tempo I
Libero
arco
breve
-
accel.
-
senza vibr.
I
3
scoop specu
la
tion
in to ahopsack.
I
a tempo
breve
scoopfluff 3
till
cresc.
thegroundrearswhiteandI’m
17 15
A tempo
Libero, lirico
-
-
the on ly
18
dark spot
in the
sky.
a
b
18 18
c
Static ( = 60)
d
-
3
All day
3
the
chil
dren
sit 8va
3
3
3
21 3
3
3
3
3
in
the
weeds
to
wait
out
the
heat
withtherat
tlers.
3
R.H.: tap on wood
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3 3
3
3
3
3 3
3
3
24
19
Libero
-
all
In tempo
= 60
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
25
3
3
All
day OurLa
dy
of theMilkTooth 8va
attends them while I,
the Owl of
the
8va
20
Tempo I ( = 76) 27
senza vib.
fltg.
Brok en Spir
it
keep
dip ping
and thinking up tunes
that fly
off
senza Ped.
29
molto ritmico pizz.
arco con sord. senza vib.
pizz.
(spoken)
quickas they hit
theair. 8va
As far as
I
can
see
21 32
Andante
Andante, Libero
3
3
with breath
it’s in
hot hea
ter ven
thanin thecool,cool earth.
I
know
cause I’ve beenthere
8va
33
pizz.
pizz.
arco
arco
breve
breve
breve
molto ritmico
a
ston
y
mote
cir
cling
the
mindless
blue,
22
Libero, marcato 34 pizz.
colla voce
fltg.
bocca chiusa
drop
ing
rows
of
mm
lit
tle
clouds,
35
fltg.
no-
good
reasons,
no,
no-
good
rea
sons
3
3
3
3
fo’
3
3
sale.
23
4. IN THE BULRUSH Rita Dove
Tania León
Molto energico (presto possibile)
jeté gliss.
7
Violin
fltg.
Clarinet in B
Voice Cut
7
5
(8va sempre)
I
7
Piano
II
(8ba sempre)
7 7
3
= 72–76
3
5
5
3
3
3
a
cane
that
once grew
3
in
5
senza Ped.
© Copyright 1996 by Southern Music Publishing Co., Inc. All Rights Reserved.
7
24
Meno mosso ( = 50) 5
6
senza vib.
sub.
sub.
5
sub.
sub. 3
in theri
ver.
3 5
6
5
6
senza Ped.
senza Ped.
accel.
8
breve
sul pont.
A tempo ( = 72–76) ord.
breve
sub.
L
3
bocca chiusa
breve
5
lean breve
breve
on
mm
25
molto rubato e poco a poco rall.
con sord. senza vib.
10
5
5
5
-
5
it.
Wei
ei eigh
5
a
5
5
5
stone
5
5
-
5
-
5
senza Ped.
A tempo ( = 72–76)
13
fltg.
5
5
5
5
in
your
-
5
hands
and
5 5
Senza Ped.
put
it
down
26 5
15
senza sord.
3
5
-
-
3
5
3
a
gain.
Watch
it
moss
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
18 3
3
3
3
ver.
Strike,
strike
3
3
Senza Ped.
the
stone
o
27 21 3
5
3
3
5
3
bocca chiusa
5
5 3
3
mm
to
3
24
see
3
if
it’s
3
3
3
3
fltg.
3
fltg. 3
fltg.
3
3
3
3
3
think
ing
of
3
wa
ter.
3
3
3
28
5. THEN CAME FLOWERS
Rita Dove
Tania León
Vivo Energico
= 50 3
Violin Clarinet in B
Voice (8va sempre)
I
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
Piano
II
(8ba sempre)
4 3
3
3
3
3
freely
(whisper) 3
3 3
I shouldhave known
3
if you
gave meflo wers
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
They
would be
3
chrysan themums.
3
3
© Copyright 1996 by Southern Music Publishing Co., Inc. All Rights Reserved.
29 7
= 50
Stretto fltg.
3
falsetto
Thewhite
3
spikessingedmy
3
fingers.
I criedout;
theyspilledfromthegreentis sue
And
3
10
pizz.
3
spread
at
3
my
feet
3
in
3
a
3
3
pool
of
3
3
3
3
3
3
soft
fire.
30
Energico agitato ( = ca. 76) 13
(pizz.)
arco
pizz.
3
15
If
3
I
begged
you
to
stay,
31 17
what
good
would it
do
me?
In
the
bed, you would
8va 8va
8va
20
pizz.
lay
the
flow ers
arco
pizz.
be tween us.
I
will
pick them
up
la
ter,
32
rall.
22
senza vib.
a
range them with
pin cers,
I
will
pickthem up
la ter,
8va
senza Ped.
25
A tempo,
(rall.)
= 50, poco a poco rall. al fine
3
dim.
ar
3
3
range
them with
pin cers.
All
3
night
33 27
3 3
3
6
3
3 3
from the bu reau
they’ll watch
me,
their
Plu
mage
as
3
29
as
co
3
3
cky,
as
fi
re
3
crack
3
3
ers.
proud,