Aposiopeses
Baritone
text by Jonathan Williams
Date of Composition: 1990
PROGRAM NOTES: Aposiopeses is a singular song to a plurality of poemettes by Jonathan Williams. Nine or ten musical styles rub shoulders aposiopetically, without transition, development, or musical argument. There is one brief quote from Delius - his cuckoo piece. The only other reference to a bird in this work is in Mr. Williams’ line “busy as a jaybird’s ass in mulberry season.” That was a difficult line to set but seemed to fall into place when I wrote cantabile over it.
-James Sellars