American Marion Bauer (1882-1955) flourished in the early twentieth-century as a composer, music scholar, and advocate for women’s music. Fair Daffodils, originally composed for a treble trio, demonstrates her mastery of early modernism: colorful chromaticism, intense dynamics, and broad ranges of tessitura. The famous poem by English Baroque poet Robery Herrick (1591-1674) explores the theme of mortality with religious overtones: “…we have short time to stay, as you, we have as short a spring….”

Bauer’s choral music has fallen into obscurity. Hopefully, the rediscovery of Fair Daffodils will help rekindle interest in her work.

Composer’s Notes

Marion Bauer (1882-1955) is a quintessential example of why we believe in the Voces Feminae series. A champion of female composers herself, ironically, she is largely obscure today. Bauer studied with Nadia Boulanger in Paris (1887-1979) ca. 1907 and later taught at Juilliard in New York. She helped found many collegial music organizations, including: the American Music Guild (1921), the Society of American Women Composers (1925), the American Composer’s Alliance (1937), and the American Music Center (1939). In regards to scholarship, she published several influential books, including Twentieth-Century Music: How it Developed, How to Listen to it (1933). Her compositions are largely tonal, exploring colorful use of harmony and dissonance. Much of her output was focused on smaller forms, such as songs and piano solos. However, she excelled at larger works, including her tone poem for orchestra “Sun Splendor,” premiered by Leopold Stokowski and the New York Philharmonic in 1957.

“Fair Daffodils,” a partsong published in 1914, is an example of her earlier work. Originally published as “trio” for treble voices, the song works well in multiple voicings, either SSA/SAA or TTB/TBB. The middle voice is a “medium” part. The famous poem by English poet Robert Herrick (ca. 1591-1674) explores the ephemeral nature of life, which “dries away as summer’s rain, or pearls of morning’s dew, ne’er to be found again.” Editorial breath marks have been added to the score as a musical aid. As such, they may be disregarded.

– Jonathan Campbell, editor

Text

Fair Daffodils, we weep to see
You haste away so soon;
As yet the early-rising sun
Has not attain’d his noon.
Stay, stay,
Until the hasting day
Has run
But to the even-song;
And, having pray’d together, we
Will go with you along.

We have short time to stay, as you,
We have as short a spring;
As quick a growth to meet decay,
As you, or anything.
We die
As your hours do, and dry
Away,
Like to the summer’s rain;
Or as the pearls of morning’s dew,
Ne’er to be found again.

– Robert Herrick (ca. 1591-1674)

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