The Curlew
Encyclopedia
The Curlew is a song cycle
by Peter Warlock
on poems by William Butler Yeats
. It is generally considered one of the composer's finest works.
It was written between 1920 and 1922 for singer and an unusual accompanying group of flute
, cor anglais
and string quartet
(two violin
s, viola
and cello
). Warlock completed the work in Cefn Bryntalch, his family home in Llandyssil, near Montgomery
in Wales
.
There are four songs, with a short instrumental interlude. The poems they are based on (with the first line in parentheses) are:
The first, second and last of these poems were taken from The Wind Among the Reeds (pub. 1899), and "The Withering of the Boughs" from In the Seven Woods
(pub. 1904).
There is a lengthy instrumental introduction to the first song, in which the cry of the curlew
is represented by the cor anglais and the peewit by the flute. The songs, which concern lost love, are melancholy in mood.
A number of motif elements recur throughout the songs dependent on the point in the text - a structural technique also found in many others of Warlock's songs.
The cycle lasts around twenty-five minutes.
Song cycle
A song cycle is a group of songs designed to be performed in a sequence as a single entity. As a rule, all of the songs are by the same composer and often use words from the same poet or lyricist. Unification can be achieved by a narrative or a persona common to the songs, or even, as in Schumann's...
by Peter Warlock
Peter Warlock
Peter Warlock was a pseudonym of Philip Arnold Heseltine , an Anglo-Welsh composer and music critic. He used the pseudonym when composing, and is now better known by this name....
on poems by William Butler Yeats
William Butler Yeats
William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and playwright, and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. A pillar of both the Irish and British literary establishments, in his later years he served as an Irish Senator for two terms...
. It is generally considered one of the composer's finest works.
It was written between 1920 and 1922 for singer and an unusual accompanying group of flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
, cor anglais
Cor anglais
The cor anglais , or English horn , is a double-reed woodwind instrument in the oboe family....
and string quartet
String quartet
A string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string players – usually two violin players, a violist and a cellist – or a piece written to be performed by such a group...
(two violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
s, viola
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
and cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
). Warlock completed the work in Cefn Bryntalch, his family home in Llandyssil, near Montgomery
Montgomery, Powys
The historic county town of Montgomery in Powys, Wales lies just three miles from the English border in the Welsh Marches. It is best known for its castle, Montgomery Castle, begun in 1223, and its parish church, begun in 1227. However its origins go back much further, as seen by the Celtic Iron...
in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
There are four songs, with a short instrumental interlude. The poems they are based on (with the first line in parentheses) are:
- "He Reproves the Curlew" ("O Curlew, cry no more in the air")
- "The lover mourns for the loss of love" ("Pale brows, still hands and dim hair")
- "The Withering of the Boughs" ("I cried when the moon was murmuring to the birds:")
- Interlude
- "He Hears the Cry of the Sedge" ("I wander by the edge of this desolate lake")
The first, second and last of these poems were taken from The Wind Among the Reeds (pub. 1899), and "The Withering of the Boughs" from In the Seven Woods
In the Seven Woods
In the Seven Woods is a volume of poems by William Butler Yeats, published in 1903 by Elizabeth Yeats's Dun Emer Press.This is the first book of Yeats' "middle period," in which he eschewed his previous Romantic ideals and preference for pre-Raphaelite imagery, in favor of a more spare style and an...
(pub. 1904).
There is a lengthy instrumental introduction to the first song, in which the cry of the curlew
Curlew
The curlews , genus Numenius, are a group of eight species of birds, characterised by long, slender, downcurved bills and mottled brown plumage. They are one of the most ancient lineages of scolopacid waders, together with the godwits which look similar but have straight bills...
is represented by the cor anglais and the peewit by the flute. The songs, which concern lost love, are melancholy in mood.
A number of motif elements recur throughout the songs dependent on the point in the text - a structural technique also found in many others of Warlock's songs.
The cycle lasts around twenty-five minutes.
Recordings
The Curlew was well served by the gramophone, three excellent recordings having been made within the first thirty years after its composition:- John Armstrong (tenor), Robert Murchie (flute), T. McDonagh (English horn), International String Quartet (Mangeot, Price, Bray, Shineburne) conducted by Constant LambertConstant LambertLeonard Constant Lambert was a British composer and conductor.-Early life:Lambert, the son of Russian-born Australian painter George Lambert, was educated at Christ's Hospital and the Royal College of Music...
(National Gramophonic Society 163-165). This recording was made with the personnel who gave the notable Warlock Memorial performance on February 23 1931 at the Wigmore HallWigmore HallWigmore Hall is a leading international recital venue that specialises in hosting performances of chamber music and is best known for classical recitals of piano, song and instrumental music. It is located at 36 Wigmore Street, London, UK and was built to provide London with a venue that was both...
, to preserve the benefit of their rehearsed ensemble. - René Soames (tenor), Geoffrey Gilbert (flute), Léon GoossensLéon GoossensLéon Jean Goossens CBE, FRCM was a British oboist.He was born in Liverpool and studied at the Royal College of Music...
(English horn), Aeolian String QuartetAeolian QuartetThe Aeolian Quartet was a highly reputed string quartet based in London , with a long international touring history and presence, an important recording and broadcasting profile. It was the successor of the pre-War Stratton Quartet...
(Cave, Williams, Forbes, Moore) (HMV 3x12" 78rpm discs C 7934-36) (27 March and 12 April 1950). Recorded under auspices of the British Council. - Alexander YoungAlexander Young (tenor)Alexander Basil Young was an English tenor who had an active career performing in concerts and operas from the late 1940s through the early 1970s. He was particularly admired for his performances in the operas of Handel, Mozart, and Rossini.In 1953 he performed the role of Tom Rakewell in the...
(tenor), Lionel Solomon (flute), Peter GraemePeter GraemePeter Graeme is an English oboist and academic teacher. He is best known as the principal oboist of the Melos Ensemble.-Professional career:Peter Graeme studied the oboe with Léon Goossens...
(English horn), Sebastian String Quartet (Argo LP RG 26) (January 1954) - There are numerous more recent recordings.