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About the Score

Helena Michelson · Lilacs blossom just as sweet

“Lilacs blossom just as sweet” is a setting of Dorothy Parker’s poem titled “Threnody” and comes from her book, Enough Rope (1926). A creature of the Jazz Age known for her daring individuality and sharp wit, Parker was one of the most published and read poets in the early 20th century America. “Threnody” is a love poem and is a lament. A woman who is left without her lover speaks of her romantic suffering but in a way that suggests that her situation is temporary. In my setting I emphasize the narrative aspects of the poem, repeating certain words and phrases, while focusing on the mood of the poem. The frequent downward motion in the bass line in the piano part suggests mourning. The harmonic language, at times quasi modal, is meant to create a texture that is subtle and delicate.

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