The cliff's edge (songs of a psychotic) by Margaret Garwood: an exploration

 
 
 
 

The cliff's edge (songs of a psychotic) by Margaret Garwood: an exploration

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Title: The cliff's edge (songs of a psychotic) by Margaret Garwood: an exploration
Author: Christopherson, Anne
Description: American composer, Margaret Garwood (b. 1927) possesses a gift for lyrical vocal writing and a deft hand with instrumental colors and textures. She has been the recipient of fellowships and awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, the MacDowell Colony, ASCAP, AMC, the National Opera Institute, and the National Federation of Music Clubs. Ms. Garwood’s compositional career is unique in that she did not begin to compose until her mid-thirties. In 1964, she and Miriam Gideon began a student-mentor relationship lasting until Gideon’s death in 1996. Before receiving her Master’s degree in Composition from the University of Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she had already written two operas, several song cycles, a ballet, and a few smaller works. This document is an exploration of her song cycle, The Cliff’s Edge (Songs of a Psychotic). It was composed in 1969 but wasn’t published until 1988 when she established Sunflower Press. Hildegard Publishing Company, now under ownership of Theodore Presser, distributes most of her works. Individual studies of each song include explorations of the poetry, rhythm, vocal line, and accompaniment. The text originates from a collection of poetry of the same title by Eithne Tabor. She wrote them at approximately eighteen years of age while in a mental hospital. Garwood selected five poems and placed them in a particular order to create the narrative of a woman’s descent into madness. They are as follows: Schizophrenia: O thou twin-blossoming rose!; Hebephrenia: The child in the sunlight dancing; Panic: And is there anyone at all?; Breakdown: This is how it starts; and Asylum: And with what silence. Garwood’s rhythmic and melodic gestures join together to create an individual world for each poem. Shifting between the mysterious, the erratic, the desperate, the manic and the defeating facets of the experiences of the mental ill her music strives for true sentiment not sensationalism. The writing demands a singer and pianist that are technically advanced and emotionally sensitive to the subject matter. They need only to follow the score to effectively lead the listener through the poet’s inner life. Appendices include writings by Ms. Garwood. Musical excerpts are used with permission of the Hildegard Publishing Company (© 2003).
Permanent Link: http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1101313153
http://hdl.handle.net/2374.OX/8188
Date: 2004

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