Hymn to the Night

“Hymn to the Night” is from the Fifth Symphony: Canticles of America and is for soprano solo, violin, and piano. The poetry is by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The violin part is exceptionally intricate and represents the “winged flight” figure throughout the piece with its smaller note values . The song calls for peace in the night, but, in a high range for the soprano, it sounds like a plea rather than reality. The piano seems to be the calmest figure, but ultimately, the voice mimics both the violin and piano in an attempt to reconcile the characters of both instrumental parts.