1990

Straightway Beauty On Me Waits

Octaves and Sweet Sounds Song Collection

The fourth song of Octaves and Sweet Sounds is entitled "Straightway Beauty On Me Waits." It is a love song that employs lush chords and expansive phrases to musically depict the passion of nature and love. Its rhapsodic nature is reflected in the sweeping melody line that incorporates wide leaps with extensive use of rubati. --Esther Jane Hardenbergh The audio recording provided features Esther Jane Hardenbergh, soprano, and Mutsumi Moteki, piano, and the performance took place in Salzburg, Austria on a recital for the Salzburg Chamber Concerts series.

Text

Straightway beauty on me waits
by James Purdy

Straightway beauty on me waits
rain in the morning or sunshine late
when, say the wind the airs can blow
the sun came up and down fell the snow.
The wind blows wet the sleet falls hard
Love waxes great
or dies, like the flower.

From Collected Poems
(Athenaeum-Polack & Van Gennep)
Copyright 1990 by James Purdy

Audio

“Straightway Beauty On Me Waits” (from “Octaves and Sweet Sounds”)

Esther Jane Hardenbergh (soprano) & Mutsumi Moteki (piano)2:40

Richard Hundley

Composer

James Purdy

Poet(s)/Writer(s)

Salzburg, Austria

Location

Sheet Music

Octaves and Sweet Sounds (High Voice)

Richard Hundley

1. Strings in the Earth and Air Text: James Joyce
2. Seashore Girls Text: E. E. Cummings
3. Moonlight's Watermelon Text: Jose Garcia Villa
4. Straightway Beauty On Me Waits Text: James Purdy
5. Well Welcome Text: Gertrude Stein

High

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Octaves and Sweet Sounds (Medium Voice)

Richard Hundley

Medium

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