To An Absent Love

Four Songs for Soprano and Piano

1. “Dear Husband” from John Brown
2. “A Farewell” from the SSAA cantata The Winged Joy
3. “Debts” original song
4. “Fair Robin I Love” from Tartuffe

Note: Nos. 1 & 4 also available with orchestral accompaniment

Composer's Note

Originally for soprano and ensemble of clarinet, horn and piano (Sara Ganz, soprano.) Also available for accompaniment of string trio — premiered by Korliss Ueker, soprano. The first song's text is from an actual letter from a slave to her husband. Nos. 2 and 3 are poems by Harriet Monroe and Jessie B. Rittenhouse.

In the published score, “Fair Robin” is listed as No. 3, but has been found to be the best finale for this set. "Fair Robin" has a surprising history. The melody and a simple accompaniment for piano were written as an assignment in my first-year harmony class. It was composed to a text by John Dryden: “Fair Iris I Love” (1690). In writing the opera thirty years later, I saw that the song so perfectly fit Dorine, the saucy maid in Tartuffe, I changed “Iris” to “Robin” and extended the song considerably to give the singer a character-based aria. It has become a popular coloratura show-piece.

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