"Walt" Whitman (1819-1892) was born 200 years ago this coming May 31. Celebrations everywhere will no doubt honor this American poet, essayist, and journalist. Described as a humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among the most influential poets in the American canon, often called the father of free verse. His work was very controversial in its time, particularly his poetry collection Leaves of Grass, which has been an unending source for musical settings by composers. Listed below, the musical works in the American Composers Alliance catalog that have been inspired by this great poet, settings in song and choral works, as well as in larger forms. Write us at sales @ composers.com for more info or perusals.
Andrew Ardizzoia: Three Whitman Lullabyes (2006)
Voice, piano from Leaves of Grass
"Memories"
"A clear midnight"
"Twilight"
Elizabeth R. Austin: Good-Bye My Fancy (2019)
High Baritone, piano
Balazs Frederic: Five Songs
voice & piano
Balazs Frederic: 'Song' Orchestra and Chorus (2008)
Boy's chorus, soloists, orchestra
Becker, John: Out of The Cradle Endlessly Rocking (1929)
Narrator, Sop, Ten, SATB, orch
Blank, Allan: Four Poems (1997)
Baritone, piano
I. Halcyon Days
II. The Voice of the Rain
III. Continuities
IV. Old Salt Kossabone
Blank, Allan: The Dalliance of The Eagles (2012)
male voice, piano
Borroff, Edith: Five Whitman Songs (1990)
Tenor, Piano
Love
Wonder
Tears
Mother
The Last Invocation
Bottje, Will: What Is A Man (1999)
SATB, narr, WW quintet, brass, perc(2), 2piano
Brooks, Richard: As Adam Early In the Morning (1986)
TTBB, piano
Brooks, Richard: I Am He That Aches With Amorous Love (1981)
SATB, or TTBB a cappella
Brooks, Richard: Two Whitman Choruses (1998)
SATB or TTBB
Adam Early in the Morning
I am he that Aches with Amorous Love
Carl, Robert: Beginning My Studies (1998)
high voice, piano
Carl, Robert: Our Heart and Home Is With Infinitude (1998)
high voice, piano
Ceely Robert: Five Songs On Texts of Walt Whitman (2005)
Soprano, piano
Childs, Barney: Quodlibet For Singers (1967)
choral a cappella/multiple voices
Childs, Barney: When Lilacs Last In the Dooryard Bloom'd (1971)
Chorus, orch., band
Edwards, George: The Resurrection of The Wheat (1993)
Soprano, piano
Fennelly, Brian: Proud Music "Proud Music of The Storm (1995)
SATB, 2tpt, 2tbn, org
Fennelly, Brian: Soon Shall the Winter's Foil (1994)
SATB chorus a capella
Fennelly, Brian: Two Whitman Songs (2005)
voice+keyboard
A noiseless patient spider, The last invocation
Goossen Frederic: A Song of The Rolling Earth (1950)
Mezzo Sop, Bar soli, SATB, picc-2-2-C.A.-2-b cl-2-cbn. 4-3-3-1 timp/prec (1 pl): pair large cymbals, bass drum, strings
Goossen Frederic: American Meditations (1968)
SSA or 3-part boy's choir
Goossen Frederic: Collected Songs, Memories (1950)
Mezzo Sop, Baritone, or Soprano, and piano
Goossen Frederic: Whispers of Heavenly Death 6 Songs (1991)
Mezzo Sop, ob, string quartet
1. Dearest Thou Now O Soul
2. Whispers of Heavenly Death
3. A Noiseless Patient Spider
4. Pensive and Faltering
5. As I Watch'd the Ploughman Ploughing
6. The Last Invocation
Kelly, Robert: Emancipation Symphony, Op 39a (1990)
wind band:1-alfl-1-ehn- 1-bcl-1-cbsn,4-3-1-btbn-1,2perc, timp & narrator
Kreiger, Arthur: A Noiseless Patient Spider (1989)
childrens chor,SSAA & tape
Liptak, David: The Sleepers (2015)
Soprano and chamber orch
Lockwood, Normand: Darest Thou Now O Soul 'Whispers of Heavenly Death' (1959)
SSAATTBB & piano
Lockwood, Normand: Four Songs-A Cycle (1979)
Sop,vln,org OR Sop, piano
Lockwood, Normand: Give Me the Splendid Silent Sun Text: Drum Taps (1957)
SATB & orch
Luedeke, Ray: of Him I Love Day & Night; A Noiseless Patient Spider (1973)
SATB,sax qrt (SATB),cb,2perc/chorus+orchestra/ens
Luedeke, Ray: Whispers of Heavenly Death and Chanting the Square (1974)
2 Sopranos, piano
Luening, Otto: Hast Never Come To Thee An Hour (1989)
Sop, flute
Miller, Scott L.: Twilight (2013)
Sop, Bass Clarinet, Vibraphone, Fixed Media Electronics
Mitchell, Darleen: In Clouds Descending (2018)
Baritone, piano
Mitchell, Darleen: Look Down Fair Moon (2018)
Baritone, piano
Pleskow, Raoul: Paumanok: A Long Island Cantata (1985)
Sop,SATB, fl,cl,piano,timp,2vln,vla,vcl
Read, Thomas L.: Four Whitman Songs (2003)
Mezzo Sop, piano
Rockmaker, Jody: After the Dazzle of Day (1996)
Mezzo Sop, cl, hn, piano
Silsbee, Ann: Darest Thou Now O Soul (1988)
SATB mixed choir, piano
Stearns, Peter Pindar: Grand Is the Seen (1958)
SATB
Stearns, Peter Pindar: Whitman Cycle 3 (1955)
low voice, piano
As i ebb'd with the ocean of life
Tears
To the Man of War bird
On the beach at night
Stearns, Peter Pindar: Whitman Cycle 4 (1959)
Sop, piano
Van De Vate, Nancy: Cantata for Women's Voices Choir and Ensemble
(1979) (Whitman's "Faces" and "Tears"
SSAA, pic, fl, cl, 2 perc, cel, hp
Warfield, Gerald: A Noiseless Patient Spider (1967)
SATB OR ttbb OR ssaa
Willingham, Lawrence: Carol of The Thrush, Op 15 (1977)
Sop,fl,cl,vln,vla,vcl
Zupko, Ramon: Proud Music of The Storm (1976)
orchestra, 2 bands, chorus, dancers, electronic tracks, narrators, visuals