Programme Notes Ten Blake Songs

Program
Notes

Ten Blake Songs Ralph Vaughan Williams

Between 1957 and1958 in the last year of his life, Vaughan Williams wrote the
Ten Blake Songs for tenor and oboe. This song cycle was composed for the
documentary film The Vision of William Blake written and directed by Guy
Brenton. The film, which commemorated the bi-centennial of Blakes birth
explores his personal philosophy as expressed through his poetry and artwork.
The piece was dedicated to tenor Wilfred Brown and oboist Janet Craxton who
performed for the film and in the first performances both on-air at the BBC and
publicly in concert. Vaughan Williams wife Ursula, in the biography of her
husband tells of how the Ten Blake Songs came to be:

A short job that came Ralphs way was the writing of some songs for a
film. The Blake Centenary had suggested a film of Blake pictures and
music was needed for it. The film makers brought film and machinery
and ran the film through and showed Ralph the poems they would like
him to set. At first he was not at all enthusiastic. He has always admired
Blake as an artist, but he did not care greatly for his poems. However, he
said he would see what he could do, stipulating that the songs should not
include that horrible little lamb a poem I hate.

Once Vaughan Williams decided on setting the poems for tenor and oboe, the
tunes were quickly created and he wrote nine songs in four days. On one
morning he said to his wife, Ursula, I was woken up by a tune for that beastly
little lamb, and its rather a good tune.

Although the song cycle was intended for tenor and oboe, underneath the title in
the printed music it states for voice and oboe.

Vaughan Williams never heard the cycle performed, for he had died on 26
August, well into his eighty-sixth year.

Six Metamorphoses after Ovid, Op 49 Benjamin Britten

This masterpiece composed by Benjamin Britten is unique in the oboe repertoire
and is one of the most distinctive examples of solo single-line instrumental
writing from any age. It is technically demanding and enigmatic.

It was written for and dedicated to Joy Boughton who first performed it on a
punt in the boating lake at Thorpeness in Suffolk in 1951. At one point, the
music blew into the water causing ink to run on some of the pages the stains
can still be seen on the manuscript.

Britten was known to have been keen for his music to be played accurately.
Although there may be a fine line between accuracy and artistic license, various
recordings show that interpretation and imagination play an important role in
the beautiful imagery evoked by Brittens writing being portrayed to the

audience successfully.

The six movements are inspired by characters in Greek legend from Publius
Ovidius Nasos great poem, Metamorphoses.

Pan who played upon the reed pipe which was Syrinx his beloved. The
writing is based on a 3-note motif, which quizzically ends the piece and is
characterized by free and asymmetric rhythms, ebbing and flowing. In this
movement, as in the following five, the comma (pause) is used throughout and
can be of varying length. Performances will vary according to interpretation and
the need for greater rhythmic tension or relaxation. The final section is perhaps
a paradox but surely a question?

Phaeton who rode upon the chariot of the sun for one day and was hurled
into the river Padus by a thunderbolt. One can surely hear the clattering of
horses hooves and the speed of the wild journey across the sky at the beginning.
Is the middle section, which is gentler, evocative of Phaeton momentarily being
in control of the chariot and enjoying the journey? The last section which is
marked agitato conjures up the hurling of the boy into the river but what can
be happening in the final pianissimo section? Is the chariot disappearing into the
distance or steam rising from the water?

Niobe who lamenting the death of her fourteen children, was turned into a
mountain. The falling phrases in D flat major marked piangendo (weeping)
seem to capture despair as Niobe comes to terms with the loss and faces her own
shortcomings. In which phrase does the metamorphosis occur? Perhaps in the
penultimate phrase which is followed by an unexpressive final phrase where
Niobe has become the mountain.

Bacchus at whose feast is heard the noise of gaggling womens tattling
tongues and the shouting out of boys. Here, the musical phrases depict the
energy and virility of Bacchus, the god of wine and intoxication. What can be
heard during the festivities? Perhaps drunkenness, shouting, laughter . . .

Narcissus who fell in love with his own image and became a flower. In his
score, Britten writes that the quiet passages represent the reflections of
Narcissus as he becomes more confident facing his own image. These reflections
become more intense and with the boys transformation into a flower, there is
stillness. The beauty of the flower is depicted without emotion.

Arethusa who, flying from the love of Alpheus the river god, is turned into a
fountain. One can hear the fluidity of the phrasing depicting water and the
movement of Alpheus. Arethusa rests thoughtfully near the gently flowing
water. Soon the music becomes restless and panic ensues. She is being pursued
by Alpheus and to hide from him she slips behind a cloud. She is restless and
fearful and begins to perspire turning into a fountain, which becomes a stream
uniting with the river.

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the beautiful imagery evoked by Brittens writing being portrayed to the

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