Edward Lear and Music


 

Lear's  Music

Beside the music for two of his own Laughable Lyrics, The Courtship of the Yonghy-Bonghy-Ḅ, and The Pelican Chorus, Lear published two books of arrangements of Alfred Tennyson's poems: Robert Tear's performance of these, was published in a 1984 album entitled Tears, Idle Tears; the cassette version, published by Cabaletta Recording the same year (TCDN 5004) contains the following arrangements: 

Edward Gray
Tears, Idle Tears
A Farewell
Sweet and Low
Home They Brought Her Warrior Dead
As through the Land
Come Not When I am Dead
O Let the Solid Ground
The Time Draws Near the Birth of Christ 

Here is a list of  some of  Lear´s songs, stories and poems.

Nonsense Verse of Carroll and Lear, read by Beatrice Lillie, Cyril Ritchard, Stanley Holloway,
Cadmon Literary Series, LP, TC 1078, 1957.

The Owl and the Pussycat. The Jolly Nonsense of Edward Lear in Story, Song & Poetry,
Sunset Records (Talespinners for Children), LP, Stereo UAC11078.

The Owl and the Pussycat, written and performed by Eric Idle, based on the poems, drawings, and writings of Edward Lear,
Music and Lyrics Composed by Eric Idle and John Duprez,
Dove Music, 2 CDs, 1997.

Arrangements of Lear's Poems

Lear's Nonsense Songs, Music by H.W. Cardew,
vol. I: The Owl and the Pussy-cat and Other Songs
vol. II: The Quangle Wangle's Hat and Other Songs
London, The Vincent Music Company Ltd.

Margaret Ruthven Lang, Nonsense Rhymes and Pictures by Edward Lear Set to Music,
vol. 1: op. 42, Leipzig, Arthur P. Schmidt, 1905;
vol. 2: op. 43, Leipzig, Arthur P. Schmidt, 1907;
both volumes bound into one in the edition I have.

Nonsense Songs by Edward Lear, Set to Music by Dudley Glass,
London, Frederick Warne & Co..

Calico Pie, words by Edward Lear, music by Arthur Farwell,
ms. score in Library of Congress, 1927.
 
 

Three Nonsense Songs, words by Edward Lear set to music by Victor Hely-Hutchinson. (Includes: The Owl and the Pussy-cat, The Table and the Chair, The Duck and the Kangaroo). V. Hely-Hutchinson also seems to have composed a 'missing' The Dong with the Luminous Nose for orchestra and choir. He has also arranged several poems by Carroll, Kipling and de la Mare.

Searle, Humphrey, The owl and the pussy-cat : for speaker, flute, cello, and guitar,
London ; New York : Oxford University Press, c1953.

Orr, Buxton, The Ballad of Mr & Mrs Discobbolos (for Tenor and Piano), 1965.

Stravinsky, Igor, The Owl and the Pussycat,
1966.

Westergaard, Peter, Mr. and Mrs. Discobbolos, chamber opera after the poem by Edward Lear,
1966; New York, Broude, c1968.

Westergaard, Peter, Divertimento on Discobbolic Fragments,
1967.

Bush, Geoffrey, Seven limericks, for two part choir & small orchestra.
London, Novello, 1970.

Roxburgh, Edwin, How pleasant to know Mr. Lear, for narrator and orchestra,
London, United Music Publishers [c1972]. 

Gerhard, Roberto, The Akond of Swat : for voice and percussion,
London, Oxford University Press, 1975.

Hanna, Ron, Mister Lear for SATB and Brass Quartet, 1975 or 1980.

Petrassi, Goffredo, Sesto non-senso: per coro misto a cappella...,
da The Book of nonsense di Edward Lear / traduzione di Carlo Izzo
Milano, Suvini Zerboni, 1976.

Thomson, Virgil, Cantata on poems of Edward Lear : for four-part chorus of mixed voices with soprano and baritone solos and piano accompaniment,
New York, G. Schirmer, c1976.

Thomson, Virgil, Cantata on Poems of Edward Lear for 2 sopranos, 2 baritones, chorus and orch.

Kirkwood, Antoinette, The Akond of Swat op. 20 No. 1 for Soprano - Tenor with Guitar or Piano accompaniment.

Kirkwood, Antoinette, The Cummerbund op. 20. No. 3 for Soprano - Tenor with Guitar or Piano accompaniment.

Forsyth, Malcolm, The Dong with a Luminous Nose. Mezzo-soprano, viola and piano, 1979. Commissioned by Maureen Forrester and the Canadian Music Centre. 

Beamish, Sally, Mr & Mrs Discobollos, for narrator, clarinet, violin, viola, cello or bass, and piano, 1983.

Thorn, Benjamin, The pobble: for SATB choir ,
words, Edward Lear; music, Benjamin Thorn. 1988.

Mathias, William, Learsongs: settings of Edward Lear for soprano and alto chorus and piano duet,
Oxford-New York, Oxford University Press, c1992.

Thorn, Benjamin, Three sea glitches: for voice and piano (baritone version),
words Edward Lear; music Benjamin Thorn. - 1995 [s.l.] : Benjamin Thorn, c1995.

Thorn, Benjamin, Three sea glitches: for voice and piano (mezzo soprano version),
words Edward Lear; music Benjamin Thorn. - 1995 [s.l.] : Benjamin Thorn, c1995.

Somers, Harry, The Owl and the Pussy-cat, for Soprano, Mezzo-soprano, Tenor and Piano, Jaymar Music (Catalogue # 02.210).

Jim Theobald has a number of Lear poems among his compositions, including The Quangle Wangle's Hat, The Owl and the Pussycat, The Pelican Chorus and The Courtship of the Yonghy-Bonghy-Bo; visit Jim's Home Page for details.

Craton, John, The Owl and the Pussycat.

Joyce Bee Tuan Koh, Green Pig, Broken Twigs — for young people's chorus and youth orchestra, 1996. (A collection of nine limericks plus The Table and the Chair.)

Jim's Big Ego, a rock band, have a version of The Jumblies in their CD Don't Get Smart (1998). 

Thomas, Richard Pearson, A Little Nonsense, songs to texts of Edward Lear for soprano, self-published, NY. (Includes: The Pobble Who Has No Toes, Calico Pie, The Owl and the Pussy-cat. A cassette with a performance of the songs by soprano Karen Beardsley and the composer at the piano is also available.)
 
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