The Angel
$50.00
My setting of William Blake’s The Angel from his Songs Of Innocence and Of Experience. The songs tracks the poem’s ambiguous meanings as an idealistic young girl dreams of being a “maiden queen.” As the poem unfolds, the music moves from chaste pop song simplicity to complexity portraying doubt, anger, and complexity as youth leads to gray-haired wisdom and independence. It is scored fro mezzo-soprano and Pierrot Ensemble (flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano) plus 1 percussionist.
Description
William Blake’s Songs Of Innocence and Of Experience dwells in the realm of nuance, with multiple, even conflicting interpretations. This ambiguity is what attracted me to his poem, The Angel. In the beginning an idealistic young girl, in the glow of wonderment, dreams of being a “maiden queen.” As the poem unfolds, her music moves from chaste pop song simplicity to complexity. Was her Angel over-protective, even misleading? Did the Angel abandon her in her time of need? Did she mislead her Angel? The question whether she needlessly sacrificed her youth and desires leads her to doubt, then anger, but also independence. Aware, and armed with gray-haired wisdom, she has no need of an Angel. After an intense instrumental interlude, the opening simple drum groove returns and then is embedded in the pitched instruments, creating a faint funereal echo. The song’s rueful weariness is disrupted by a last rush of unresolved sound, which hangs questioning in the air. It is scored fro mezzo-soprano and Pierrot Ensemble (flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano) plus 1 percussionist. For more info about this work click here.
Materials (score & parts) are available as downloadable PDF files.
