Joys Abiding - Soprano and Baritone Duets by Historical Women Composers
An Annotated Anthology
Edited by Chuck Dillard, Dana Zenobi, Oliver Worthington
About this Anthology
JOYS ABIDING shines a light on vocal duets by female composers in Italian, French, German, Spanish, Latin, and English from the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic periods of the Western Classical tradition. We hope to expand the traditionally all-male canon to include some of these important works by female composers. We are particularly pleased to be offering the first published scores of three duets by Rebecca Clarke, a British-American composer and virtuoso violist. The name of our album, JOYS ABIDING, comes from the last line of her duet “Sleep.” Look for the companion recording on the Navona label (https://www.navonarecords.com/catalog/nv6409/).
In addition to introducing you to some beautiful music, we hope that this project becomes an additional resource for voice instructors and music directors programming vocal chamber concerts pairing soprano and baritone — or soprano and mezzo — voices. Currently available resources include the anthologized canon of sacred and secular duets (exclusively works by European male composers), a wealth of English-language Art Song vocal duet literature by 20th-century and living composers (including some women and composers who hold other marginalized identities), and operatic duet literature (almost exclusively by white male composers). We hope this annotated anthology will inspire listeners to further explore vocal works by each composer, as this project is only a sampling of the rich body of duet repertoire created by these women.
Composer Biographies, Translations, and IPA Transcriptions
- Adayevskaya/Adaïewsky...................................................................................... 6
- Beach..................................................................................................................... 8
- Caccini....................................................................................................................9
- Chaminade........................................................................................................... 10
- Clarke................................................................................................................... 12
- Dobson..................................................................................................................15
- Gail........................................................................................................................ 16
- Hensel................................................................................................................... 17
- Holmès...................................................................................................................19
- Kinkel.................................................................................................................... 22
- Malibran................................................................................................................ 23
- Reichardt.............................................................................................................. 25
- Smith..................................................................................................................... 26
- Strozzi................................................................................................................... 27
- Viardot-Garcia...................................................................................................... 29
About the Authors......................................................................................................... 31
Francesca Caccini (1587-1641)
- Io mi distruggo..................................................................................................... 32
Barbara Strozzi (1619-1677)
- Morso e bacio dati in un tempo.......................................................................... 43
Edmée Sophie Garre Gail (1775-1819)
- Les langueurs.......................................................................................................54
Louise Reichardt (1779-1826)
- Hör' es klagt die Flöte.......................................................................................... 60
Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel (1805-1847)
- Ich stand gelehnet an den Mast......................................................................... 65
- Die Mitternacht war kalt und stumm.................................................................. 67
Maria Malibran (1808-1836)
- Belle viens à moi................................................................................................. 69
- Il Ritrovo ............................................................................................................. 74
Johanna Mockel Mathieux Kinkel (1810-1858)
- Die Geisterinsel................................................................................................... 78
Pauline Viardot-García (1821-1910)
- Habanera.............................................................................................................. 86
- La Jota ............................................................................................................... 101
Alice Mary Smith (1839-1884)
- O That We Two Were Maying............................................................................ 116
Ella Georgiyevna Adayevskaya / Adaïewsky (1846-1926)
- Horazische Ode................................................................................................. 128
Augusta Holmès (1847-1903)
- À Lydie............................................................................................................... 144
Cécile Chaminade (1857-1944)
- À travers bois.................................................................................................... 160
Amy Beach (1867-1944)
- A Canadian Boat-Song..................................................................................... 176
Augusta Mary Rachel Dobson (1872-1923)
- The Purple Moor ............................................................................................... 187
Rebecca Clarke (1886-1979)
- Hymn to Pan....................................................................................................... 196
- Nacht für Nacht.................................................................................................. 209
- Sleep................................................................................................................... 215
(The Rebecca Clarke duets are published here for the first time by permission of Christopher Johnson)
Rebecca Clarke Composer Website
CVR5341
(c) 2022 Classical Vocal Reprints
Coil bound, 220 pages
