Modern song cycles?

I've been looking for some modern vocal music (not necessarily contemporary, but from like 1920-ish up to the present day) and haven't found a whole lot for just voice and piano in the style of a song cycle or anything like that.

I know there's Schoenberg and Webern's song sets, and Hindemith's "Das Marienleben"...but that's about all I know of.

Any help?

I believe William Bolcom had some songs, as did John Corigliano and Jennifer Higdon.

Definitely look into Ned Rorem, who I hear writes great art songs.

Dutilleux has some vocal music, but most of it is for soloist and orchestra. According to wikipedia there is a version of the Deux Sonnets de Jean Cassou for baritone and piano though. Messiaen also wrote a few song cycles for vocalist and piano - Harawi, Po

Jacob Druckman also wrote a set of songs for soprano and orchestra... I think. He does have some good soprano and orchestral pieces for sure though.

Lets not forget Ives' songs. ...Or Marilyn Manson's.

And while we're on Americans, Ruth Crawford Seeger, Carl Ruggles, and Henry Cowell all wrote some songs (not cycles, but still songs). So did Cage and Carter. Even Harry Partch. And what about Crumb's cycles?

Getting away from America, Berio has some, Satie has some (weired right?), Stravinsky I believe has some, Varese has a song, and Ligeti has a few.

I also have some... ;)

And going along with Webern and Schoenberg (who wrote some great songs), lets not forget about Berg's.

How about Shostakovich's late song sets? The Captain Lebyadkin songs and the settings of Michelangelo Buonarroti are with piano accompaniment. I think the Lebyadkin was his last work and it's pretty grim.

Yes! Those Shostakovich song cycles are great! I've performed the Michelangelo Buonarotti songs with a singer a couple of years ago, and they were amongst the most fascinating songs we performed together (and I had been accompanying this singer for quite a while).

I also really love Kurtag's songs, some of which have similarities to the Shostakovich ones (there are quite a few cycles by him). And there are of course lots of songs by Wolfgang Rihm, if you're into his music.

Yes! Those Shostakovich song cycles are great! I've performed the Michelangelo Buonarotti songs with a singer a couple of years ago, and they were amongst the most fascinating songs we performed together (and I had been accompanying this singer for quite a while).

I also really love Kurtag's songs, some of which have similarities to the Shostakovich ones (there are quite a few cycles by him). And there are of course lots of songs by Wolfgang Rihm, if you're into his music.

Dang! I completely forgot about Kurtag's vocal music!

Funny, considering I saw the premiere of one of his latest song-cycles about 5 months ago.

Another wonderful American songwriter (in my opinion) is Ricky Ian Gordon. I don't know if he writes exactly what you would call song cycles, but his songs based on Langston Hughes poems are pretty fantastic.

Another wonderful American songwriter (in my opinion) is Ricky Ian Gordon. I don't know if he writes exactly what you would call song cycles, but his songs based on Langston Hughes poems are pretty fantastic.

I will have to agree! His modern is some of the BEST and high quality out there. His books are easily accessible through Amazon.com

Shoenberg's got some nifty cabaret songs. Weill, too.

How about Shostakovich's late song sets? The Captain Lebyadkin songs and the settings of Michelangelo Buonarroti are with piano accompaniment. I think the Lebyadkin was his last work and it's pretty grim.

Wow, I had never heard of Shostakovich's songs (I didn't even know he had written any, besides the ones in Symphony No. 14.) They're pretty great (as for the last comment, I think his viola sonata was his very last work.)

Anyway I guess I really don't mean "song cycles"- I just used that term to differentiate from more "avant-garde" vocal music like Cage's Aria and Berio's Sequenza III, because I already know a great deal of that repertoire.

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone!

Thomas Ades - Elliot Landscapes???

Schoenberg - Book of the Hanging Gardens

Barber - Hermit Songs

Britten - Winter Words, The Holy Sonnets of John Donne, Michelangelo Sonnets

Copland and Ives did some good stuff

While it's not specifically for piano/vox dig into Michael Mantler's use of voice.

Michael Mantler - composer, musician Scores available free online.

Songs & One Symphony

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