The Clock of the Years
O joy, O rapture unforeseen! On the other hand, O deeply conflicted mix of amusement, curiosity, contempt, and genuine hope unforeseen!
Ned Rorem is a superb craftsman of songs. There's no question that, compared to, say, Gerald Finzi, Rorem is the superior musician. Rorem is consistently inspired, Finzi, sporadically. Rorem's taste is unfailing, Finzi's is not. So why is it that, having heard any given Rorem song once, I do not particularly need to hear it again? Why do I get these regular cravings for Finzi's "Who is Silvia?" or "Come away, come away, death"?
It is high time we had some poetry here at the Fredösphere, so in honor of Finzi, who composed a setting of it, I offer you this poem by Thomas Hardy.
The Clock of the Years
And the Spirit said,
'I can make the clock of the years go backward.
But am Loth to stop it where you will.'
And I cried, 'Agreed
To that. Proceed:
It's better than dead!'
He answered, 'Peace;'
And called her up -- as last before me;
Then younger, younger she grew, to the year
I had first known
Her woman-grown,
And I cried, 'Cease! --
Thus far is good --
It is enough -- let her stay thus always!'
But alas for me -- He shook his head:
No stop was there;
And she waned child-fair,
And to babyhood.
Still less in mien
To my great sorrow became she slowly,
And smalled till she was nought at all
In his checkless griff;
And it was as if
She had never been born.
'Better,' I plained,
'She were dead as before! The memory of her
Had lived in me; but it cannot now!'
And coldly his voice:
'It was your choice
To mar the ordained.'
Umie the Umlaut says, "ask your doctor about the Fredösphere!"
3 Comments:
We just read Thomas Hardy in my British Lit class a couple of days ago. We didn't look at this one, though. Have you read "Ah, Are You Digging On My Grave"? It's a good one--funny is a sick sort of way. http://unix.cc.wmich.edu/~cooneys/poems/hardy.grave.html
Oh man, in my eyes Finzi beats Rorem any day. I don't think I've heard anything in the big R's vast craftsmanly catalogue come near, for example, Finzi's clarinet concerto. Do you think maybe Rorem gets a little status boost in America just through sheer national pride? I don't know what they think of him in the UK.
Rorem is still a fairly unknown name over here (UK). I agree that he is technically a far superior composer to Finzi - and his music deserves to be better known.
But finzi has such a gift for melody - which will leave you pining for more. Particular fav. In Terra Pax.
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