Composition Commons^™

The Masculine And Feminine Encounter In Song : An Analysis Of Six Poems As Set By Both Male And Female Composers, Catherine Bodo Schoew

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

That fusion of poetry and music which we call song has provoked controversy, evoked ecstasy, and has tempted nearly every composer sometime during his musical career. What is it that drives a man to take immortal words and endeavor to transcend them in music? Indeed few composers have ever been truly successful, but even the idea of "perfect song" stimulates argument. The well-worn controversy of the importance of music above the words, and vice versa, has never been resolved, nor is it likely to be. The greatest problem lies in the fact that a poem existed as an independent work …