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Woman of the Water
Nine songs for soprano and lute, poems by Theodore Roethke
Duration: 23:00
Composed in 2001 for Nancy Knowles
As a songwriter I am blessed by having not only a soprano, but also a poet, as my partner. Nancy Knowles has long been the creative force behind Duo LiveOak's programming for concerts. She now helps shape my song cycles, from the choosing and sequencing of texts, to writing new poems conceived for a specific work. For Woman of the Water, Nancy put together a moving group of poems by the late American poet Theodore Roethke (pronounced ret-kee). The poems are from The Far Field, Roethke?s last book of poems, published in 1964, one year after his death. In the context of our settings, the poems trace the passions of a woman [or soul] who lives by the sea, from her awakening young body and the beginnings of love, through longing and frustration to union and joy in her later years. In his lifetime Roethke was honored with many awards, including the Pulitzer Prize; in spite of recurring bouts of depression, he produced an inspiring body of work. It is interesting to imagine Woman of the Water as an allegory of his own soul?s journey. The lute was chosen as a more graceful, feminine accompaniment to this delicate tale. The lute part is flavored by an SATB orientation, which creates simple but rich chords, yet has impressionistic flourishes and instrumental fantasy. Throughout, a repetition of motives and chord progressions unify the work.
 View Sample Music
Hear it on Tracks 15-22 of Duo LiveOak's CD Woman of the Water
Woman of the Water Theodore Roethke
15  The Young Girl 1:15
16 Her Words 1:42
17 The Apparition 2:50
18 Her Reticence / Her Longing 4:04
19 Song 1:36
20 The Moment 4:02
21 The Restored 2:35
22 Meditation 2:06
"The breadth of his musical activity recalls an earlier age, when a complete musician engaged in a broad range of creative activities as a matter of course...Wallace's music is exciting, unpredictable, and fresh..."
Steven Rings, American Record Guide, 2001
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