Whitman Songs & The Coming of Spring: New Recordings and Scores

photo of a concert performance by a singer and pianist
Matthew Marco and Joe Dan Harper performing at the Burchfield Penney Art Center on August 4.

Last month the Burchfield Penney Art Center in Buffalo, NY presented Buffalo Opera Unlimited in a full concert of my opera and art songs comparing the works of two iconic American artists: painter Charles E. Burchfield and poet Walt Whitman.

This special program included three art song settings of Walt Whitman for tenor and piano: a World Premiere (Proofs of Coming Fullness) and two brand new arrangements of existing works (The Open Road and Laws for Creations).

The artists also performed a semi-staged production of The Coming of Spring, my monodrama based on Charles E. Burchfield’s life and writings, in a new piano reduction score.

Check out my YouTube playlist for live recordings of all of the above, and follow the links below for lyrics, program notes, and perusal scores for each of these works, which are all scored for tenor and piano:

*  Libretto and perusal score available by request to: nell@nellshawcohen.com