Harbison CLEAR MIDNIGHT

John Harbison

A CLEAR MIDNIGHT for Soprano, TTBB choir, and string quintet

text by Walt Whitman

From the G. Schirmer Rental Library date of printing _________________

Associated Music Publishers, Inc. New York, NY

John Harbison

A CLEAR MIDNIGHT for Soprano, TTBB choir, and string quintet

text by Walt Whitman

this work is commissioned by The Georgina Joshi Foundation and dedicated to Chris Carducci, Garth Eppley, Georgina Joshi, Zachary Novak and Robert Samels duration ca. 8 minutes

Associated Music Publishers, Inc. New York, NY

Part I Darest Thou Now O Soul (STTBB) Darest thou now, O soul, Walk out with me toward the Unknown Region, Where neither ground is for the feet, nor any path to follow?

No map, there, nor guide, Nor voice sounding, nor touch of human hand, Nor face with blooming flesh, nor lips, nor eyes, are in that land.

I know it not, O soul; Nor dost thou–all is a blank before us; All waits, undream’d of, in that region–that inaccessible land.

Till, when the ties loosen, All but the ties eternal, Time and Space, Nor darkness, gravitation, sense, nor any bounds, bound us.

Then we burst forth–we float, In Time and Space, O soul–prepared for them; Equal, equipt at last–(O joy! O fruit of all!) them to fulfil, O Soul.

Part II A Clear Midnight (TTBB)

The Last Invocation (S)

This is thy hour O soul, thy free flight into the wordless, At the last, tenderly, From the walls of the powerful, fortress’d house, From the clasp of the knitted locks–from the keep of the well-closed doors, Let me be wafted.

Away from books, away from art, the day erased, the lesson done, Let me glide noiselessly forth; With the key of softness unlock the locks–with a whisper, Set ope the doors, O Soul!

Thee fully forth emerging, silent, gazing, pondering the themes thou lovest best.

Tenderly! be not impatient!

(Strong is your hold, O mortal flesh!

Strong is your hold, O love.)

Night, sleep, death and the stars.

A CLEAR MIDNIGHT Walt Whitman

Part I

Andante cantabile

John Harbison

= 66

in fuori

Solo Soprano

Where nei ther 3

3

2 Tenor 8

Dar est thou now,

O

Soul,

Walk

out

with me

toward the Un

known

3

3

2 Bass

Dar est thou now,

O

Soul,

Walk

out

with me

toward the Un

3

known

3

a

accomp.

Violin

3

3

b

accomp.

3

3

a

accomp.

Viola b

Violoncello 3

3

accomp. rubato

5

3

ground

is

3

3

for the

feet,

nor an y

path

3

dim.

3

3

3

to fol

3

8

Re

gion,

toward the Un

known

Re

gion,

known

Re

gion,

3

Re

gion,

toward the Un 3

3

3

3

Copyright Š 2009 by Associated Music Publishers, Inc. (BMI) New York, NY International Copyright Secured. All Rights Reserved.

Warning: Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited by Federal law and subject to criminal prosecution.

Property of: G. Schirmer Rental Library Bellvale Road Chester, NY 10918 SUPPLIED ON LOAN ONLY

2 9

non troppo legato

3

low?

No

map, there,

8

14

legato

Nor

8

face

cresc.

nor guide,

Nor voice sound ing,

nor face,

nor touch of hu man hand,

No map,

guide,

voice,

touch,

No map,

guide,

voice,

touch,

dim.

5

with bloom

3

ing flesh,

nor

nor

lips,

lips,

nor eyes,

nor

eyes,

are dim.

are dim.

nor face,

nor

lips,

nor eyes,

are

in

that

3

in

that

3

in 3

3 3

3

that

3 rit. a tempo

18 (dim.)

land. (dim.)

8

animando

3

3

land.

I

(dim.)

know

it

not,

O

Soul;

Nor dost

3

land.

I

know

thou–

all

thou–

all

3

is

a

3

it

not,

O

Soul;

Nor dost

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

is

a

3

3

Poco più animato = 72 mormorando, rubato (Tempo II) 3 3

22

3

All

3

3

3

3

3

3

waits, 3

8

blank

be fore us;

All

waits,

un

dream’d

of,

in that 3

blank

be fore us;

All

waits,

un

dream’d

of,

in that

3

3

3

3

4 più sostenuto 26

3

All

3

3

3

3

re

re

3

waits,

All non legato

8

3

3

gion–

that

3

3

3

3

waits

cresc.

5

that in non legato

gion–

3

ac

ces

si

ble

land.

Till, when cresc.

the

si

ble

land.

Till,

the

5

in

ac

ces

non legato

when

5

cresc. non legato

cresc.

5 5

non legato

cresc. non legato

5

cresc.

poco a poco animando 30

3

the

3

ties

3

loos

3

3

3

3

ties

loos en,

Till,

when

the

ties

the

ties

3

en, 3

cresc.

8

3

3

the

3

ties

3

3

loos

3

loos en,

All

loos en,

All

cresc.

ties

loos en,

Till,

when

3

3

3

3

3

3

cresc.

cresc.

cresc.

cresc.

5 Animato = 80 (Tempo III) 34

3 3

3

3

en,

Time

3

Space,

3

cresc.

8

and

3

but the cresc.

ties

3

but

the

3

3

3

3

3

3

ties

3

e

ter nal,

Time

and Space,

e

ter nal,

Time

and Space,

cresc.

3

cresc.

3

cresc.

3

cresc.

legato

38

calando 3

3

Nor dark ness,

grav i

3

ta tion,

sense,

nor an

y bounds,

3

8

Nor

dark ness,

grav i

ta

tion,

sense,

nor an

y bounds,

ta

tion,

sense,

nor an

y bounds,

3

Nor

dark ness,

grav i

3

3

3

3

6 Tempo II ( = 72)

42

bound

ing us.

bound

3

8

ing us.

bound

3

dolce

Then we burst forth–

we

marc.

3

bound ing us.

marc.

ing us.

dolce

Then we marc.

burst forth–

Then

burst forth–

we dolce

3

bound ing us.

bound

ing us.

we

3

3

marc.

3

3

marc.

3

3

3

3

we

dolce

dolce

dolce

marc.

dolce marc.

Animando 46

3

3

3

float,

3

3

we

cresc.

3

3

3

float, cresc.

8

float,

we

float, cresc.

float,

we

float,

cresc.

cresc.

3

3

cresc.

cresc.

3

7

Animato = 80 (Tempo III) 50

3

3 3

In

3

3

Time

3

and

Space,

O

dim.

8

In

Time

and

Space,

O

soul–

O

soul–

pre

soul–

pre

dim.

In

Time

and

Space,

O

soul–

marc.

dim.

marc.

dim.

marc.

dim.

marc.

dim.

O

3

54

legatiss.

ardente

(O

Soul– ben articulato

8

pared

for them;

3

E qual,

e quipt

at

last–

them

ben articulato

pared

for them;

ben articulato

ben articulato

ben articulato

ben articulato

3

to 3

E qual,

e quipt

at

last–

them

3

to

cresc.

ful cresc.

fil,

O

ful

fil,

O

3

cresc.

3

cresc.

3

cresc.

3

cresc.

8 58

incalzando

cresc.

joy!

3

O

fruit

3

of all!)

(O

Soul.

them

to

ful

3

Soul.

3

them

to

O

fruit

of

all!)

cresc.

3

8

joy!

fil,

3

O

Soul.

them

to 3

cresc.

ful

fil,

(O

O

Soul.

3

them

to

ful

fil,

cresc.

ful

fil,

3

3

cresc.

cresc.

3

3

cresc.

3

3

cresc.

3

cresc.

cresc.

cresc.

3

cresc.

cresc.

Tempo III ( = 80) = 88 riten.

62

cresc.

3

joy!

O

fruit

of

all!) cresc.

8

(O

joy!

O

Soul.

O

Soul.

cresc.

cresc.

cresc.

cresc.

cresc.

cresc.

9 dim. al niente

66 *

O

joy!

O fruit

of

all!)

dim.

8

dim.

70

sempre animando, poco a poco 5 5

3

3

3

5

cresc.

cresc.

3

cresc.

3

cresc.

cresc.

3

10 Allegro

74

= 120

3

cresc.

5

3

cresc.

cresc.

3

cresc.

3

3

cresc.

Animando

78

5

3 3

( = 144)

82

3

3

3

=

11 Tempo II ( = 72)

rit.

87

sonoro

sonoro

sonoro

sonoro (open) 0

Part II 91

a tempo ( = 72)

At misterioso

8

This

is

thy

hour

O

Soul,

thy

hour

O

Soul,

misterioso

This

is

misterioso

misterioso

misterioso

misterioso

the last,

ten

der

ly,

12 cresc.

95

cresc.

3

From

the walls

of

the pow

er

ful,

for

tress’d house,

From

the clasp

of the

3

8

thy

free

flight

in

to

the word

less,

the word

less,

3

thy

free

flight

in

to

3

3 3

3

99

cresc.

(cresc.)

knit ted locks–

from

the

keep

3

of

the well- closed doors,

Let

me

be cresc.

8

A way

from books,

cresc.

A way

from books,

13 103

waft

8

ed.

Let

be

waft

ed.

a

way

from art,

the day

e

rased,

the les son done,

a

way

from art,

the day

e

rased,

the les son done,

107

3

Let

8

me

me glide

noise less

3

ly forth;

With

the key

of soft

ness

un lock the locks–

14 cantabilissimo

111

3

with

3

3

a

whis

per,

Set ope

the doors,

Set ope

Thee

ful

ly

forth

e

3

Thee

115

3

ful

ly

ing,

si

lent,

merg

ing,

si

lent,

3

forth

e

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

Soul!

Ten

ing,

ing,

der ly!

thou lov est

best.

thou lov est

best.

dim.

pon d’ring the themes 3

dim.

3

dim.

3

dim.

3

dim.

3

be not im pa tient!

dim.

pon d’ring the themes 3

gaz

merg

parlando

3

gaz

Soul!

3

3

O

8

the doors, O

3

3

3

8

3

15 119 sempre tranquillo

(Strong

8

is

Night,

sleep,

death

and

the

stars.

sleep,

Night,

sleep,

death

and

the

stars.

sleep,

(trem.)

123

your

8

hold,

O

mor

tal

flesh!

Strong

is

your

death

and

the

stars.

sleep,

death

death

and

the

stars.

sleep,

death

hold,

16 127

O

8

love.)

and

the

stars.

and

the

stars. solo 3

espr.

3

marc.

marc.

marc.

marc.

poco rit.

131 3

cresc.

cresc.

3

cresc.

cresc.

cresc.

3

3

3

3

3

17 Poco meno mosso ( = 66) rit. rubato

135

dim.

dim.

dim.

dim.

dim.

Poco meno mosso ( = 60) rubato, deliberato

138

(dim.)

(dim.)

(dim.)

(dim.)

(dim.)

rit.

141

dim.

dim.

dim. (open) 0 0

dim.

dim.