Songs of the Algonquin - Song in a Minor Key
for Soprano, Viola & Piano Live

This and the companion piece “Victoria” Op. 4 were written as an exercise for a class on composition for high school students in Grass Valley and Nevada City. The song is based on a poem of Dorothy Parker entitled “Song in a Minor Key”. Dorothy Parker’s poetry focused on depression, suicide and death. This poem as noted in the “lyrics below” encompasses suicide and death. The melody was developed from the words of the poem (i.e. the rhythm and words determined the notes of the melody). The melody itself was completed in an afternoon. In keeping with the title of the poem the song was written in the key of G minor with modulation to D minor for the middle interlude portion before returning to the G minor home key. The contrapuntal harmony for the second stanza contains driving arpeggiated chords to mimic the cold winds of winter.

The song in its original version was composed from 02 December 2010 through 28 December 2010 and performed live in Peace Lutheran Church in Grass Valley on Saturday, February 12, 2011 with the composer playing the piano and sung by Soprano Ms. Dawn Simmons.

The song was revised as Op. 3a in April 2016 to add a “funeral march” rhythm and motif to the song’s first stanza. An added viola part represents the missing “lover” and provides additional support for the melody. The viola’s tone and rhythm changes in the second stanza of the poem to create a “cold winds of winter” feel to the final stanza with the piano accompaniment. The piece ends with a final quotation of the “funeral march” theme. The final chord of the piece is an extremely dissonant “diabolus in musica” implying that her suicide did not result in a place in heaven. The funeral march is also punctuated by intermittent “laughing triplets” reflecting demonic imps gamboling around the “lady fair”.

The song is dedicated to Arlette M Grubbe who introduced the composer to the poetry and writings of Dorothy Parker and the Algonquin Round Table (hence, the title “Songs of the Algonquin”).

SONG IN A MINOR KEY
Dorothy Parker

There’s a place I know where the birds swing low,
And wayward vines go roaming,
Where the lilacs nod, and a marble god
Is pale, in scented gloaming.
And at sunset there comes a lady fair
Whose eyes are deep with yearning.
By an old, old gate does the lady wait
Her own true love’s returning.

But the days go by, and the lilacs die,
And trembling birds seek cover;
Yet the lady stands, with her long white hands
Held out to greet her lover.
And it’s there she’ll stay till the shadowy day
A monument they grave her.
She will always wait by the same old gate,–
The gate her true love gave her.