"Rain" No. 1 from Six Shelley Songs by Jason Thorpe Buchanan

These six songs were composed in the summer of 2008. Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792--1822) wrote these poems between 1814 and his unexpected death, when he drowned at sea. He is known for having been expelled from Oxford for distributing a pamphlet entitled "The Necessity of Atheism." He was married twice, leaving his first wife shortly after writing "Away!," soon thereafter meeting Mary Shelley (of Frankenstein fame), daughter of William Godwin, a literary figure whom Shelley idolized. Two of their three children died in 1818 and 1819. His texts have been criticized for their seemingly abstract surface aesthetic, as well as being praised "splendidly nebulous." With these six songs I have aimed to capture the essence of his writing and depict the masterfully-crafted romantic imagery contained in these poems. I hope that in doing so I manage to enhance their "splendidly nebulous" nature through my music.

I. Rain (1819) - Percy Bysshe Shelley
The fitful alternations of the rain,
When the chill wind, languid as with pain
Of its own heavy moisture, here and there
Drives thro' the gray and beamless atmosphere.

Performance Date: June 4, Chicago, IL

For more information on the composer, please visit http://www.jasonthorpebuchanan.com

For more information on this work or to purchase the score, please visit: http://www.melosmusic.com/jason/w_shelley.php

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