Mirage, for soprano and piano

Description

Text
“Mirage” by Christina Rossetti

The hope I dreamed of was a dream,
Was but a dream, and now I wake.
Exceeding comfortless, and worn, and old.
For a dream’s sake.

I hang my harp upon a tree,
A weeping willow on a lake;
I hang my silent harp there, wrung and snapt.
For a dream’s sake.

Lie still, lie still, my breaking heart;
My silent heart, lie still and break:
Life, and the world, and mine own self, are changed
For a dream’s sake.

Notes
Neapolitan and augmented chords couched in a minor key convey the angst and despair one feels when discovering that the dream one spent one’s life pursuing is only a mirage.

Premiere info: This piece has not yet been premiered!