A Paean

[Gast AndreasvanHaren]

Hi all!

I hope it is oke that I write in English, but my German is not so good. I am originally from Holland but live since 2003 in Sweden, Göteborg.

Here's a piece I wrote some years ago. Love to hear what you think about it. It is for woodwinds, solo singer and mixed choir. The text is written by Edgar Allen Poe, my favorite poet! I wrote this piece for a composition contest in Holland.

You can see the music here:

A Paean score

and listen to it here:

A Paean recording

this is a recording of a live performance.

Here is the text of the poem that I used:

A PAEAN

by Edgar Allen Poe

I.

How shall the burial rite be read?

The solemn song be sung ?

The requiem for the loveliest dead,

That ever died so young?

II.

Her friends are gazing on her,

And on her gaudy bier,

And weep ! oh! to dishonor

Dead beauty with a tear!

III.

They loved her for her wealth

And they hated her for her pride

But she grew in feeble health,

And they love her that she died.

IV.

They tell me (while they speak

Of her "costly broider'd pall")

That my voice is growing weak

That I should not sing at all

V.

Or that my tone should be

Tun'd to such solemn song

So mournfully so mournfully,

That the dead may feel no wrong.

VI.

But she is gone above,

With young Hope at her side,

And I am drunk with love

Of the dead, who is my bride.

VII.

Of the dead dead who lies

All perfum'd there,

With the death upon her eyes,

And the life upon her hair.

VIII.

Thus on the coffin loud and long

I strike the murmur sent

Through the grey chambers to my song,

Shall be the accompaniment.

IX.

Thou died'st in thy life's June

But thou did'st not die too fair:

Thou did'st not die too soon,

Nor with too calm an air.

X.

From more than fiends on earth,

Thy life and love are riven,

To join the untainted mirth

Of more than thrones in heaven

XII.

Therefore, to thee this night

I will no requiem raise,

But waft thee on thy flight,

With a Pæan of old days

greetings!

André van Haren, sweden

[Aquarius]

Hello Andre,

its a nice piece of choral chamber music your song. For the dark atmosphere of Poe`s poem you really found a suitable sound. The poor instrumentation and the gregorian like character of the chorus, especially in the beginning of the piece, i think all this enlarges the effect of the poem`s topic. For me it sounds really like a little chant of a crypt.

[Gast AndreasvanHaren]

hi, Aquarius,

thanks for listening. Poe is really one of my most favorite poets, I used some other of his poems as well for songs. I am thinking of starting a new song but want to finish another piece first. Writing takes so much time!

[Gast maxx]

I really like tone poems like La belle dame sans merci but A Paean

was absolutely moving!!!. It really let´s you sharing the story.

Totaly brilliant !. As aquarius said: It suits perfect. A good instrumentation

and a good score makes a perfect piece of music.

[Gast AndreasvanHaren]

Hi Maxx, I just checked your homepage but it links to a page about Bernard Herrmann, I love his music btw!

[Gast AndreasvanHaren]

I really like tone poems like La belle dame sans merci but A Paean

was absolutely moving!!!. It really let´s you sharing the story.

Totaly brilliant !. As aquarius said: It suits perfect. A good instrumentation

and a good score makes a perfect piece of music.

Thanks Maxx. I was very happy when this piece was performed, but was a little bit sad over the quality of the soloist. I shouldn't complain though, because itg is so difficult to get anything performed!

[Gast maxx]

Yes, after I´am still working on my homepage I could not thought

of a better Herrmann Page than the Society. I have a lot of research

on his scores and it´s really laboriously. But his music makes me obbsessed

and yours in on a good way, too:)

[Gast AndreasvanHaren]

You wouldn't have a copy somewhere of his psycho score in pdf? I would love to see what he did there.

[Gast maxx]

Thanks Maxx. I was very happy when this piece was performed, but was a little bit sad over the quality of the soloist. I shouldn't complain though, because itg is so difficult to get anything performed!

Indeed.

[Gast maxx]

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