- Title
- Eight Poems of Emily Dickinson
- For
- voice and chamber orchestra
- Alternate Titles
- Dickinson Songs (Nickname)
- Scoring
- 1(=picc).1.1.Ebcl.1-1.1.1.0-harp-strings(min.8.6.4.3.2)
- ARCO Number(s)
- 88
- Duration
- 20'
- Songs
- 1. Nature, the Gentlest Mother (To David Diamond) Version of: Nature, The Gentlest Mother in Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson (1950) for voice and piano
- 2. There Came a Wind Like a Bugle (To Elliott Carter) Version of: There Came a Wind Like a Bugle in Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson (1950) for voice and piano
- 3. The World Feels Dusty (To Alexei Haieff) Version of: The World Feels Dusty in Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson (1950) for voice and piano
- 4. Heart, We Will Forget Him! (To Marcelle de Manziarly) Version of: Heart, We Will Forget Him! in Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson (1950) for voice and piano
- 5. Dear March, Come In! (To Juan Orrego Salas) Version of: Dear March, Come In! in Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson (1950) for voice and piano
- 6. Sleep is Supposed to Be (To Irving Fine) Version of: Sleep Is Supposed to Be in Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson (1950) for voice and piano
- 7. Going to Heaven! (To Lukas Foss) Version of: Going to Heaven! in Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson (1950) for voice and piano
- 8. The Chariot (To Arthur Berger) Version of: The Chariot in Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson (1950) for voice and piano
- 1. Nature, the Gentlest Mother (To David Diamond)
- Premiere
- New York: New York, November 14th, 1970 (Gwendolyn Killebrew, Juilliard Orch, cond. Michael Tilson Thomas)
- Publisher
- Boosey & Hawkes
- Publishing Status
- Published
- Arrangement Of
- Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson (for voice and piano) (1950) (Subset)
- Year Arranged
- 1958–70
Buying Options
Boosey & HawkesJump To
Program Note
Copland chose eight from his song cycle of twelve poems by this unique American poet to transcribe for voice and small orchestra. He hoped the arrangement would give the songs a wider hearing. Dickinson's writing had a particular appeal to the composer. "Her poetry, written in isolation, was folklike, with irregular meters and stanzas and many unconventional devices," wrote Copland. The orchestrated version was premiered for a concert in honor of his seventieth birthday at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Author
- Vivian Perlis
- Year
- 1998