Song Cycle for bass voice and piano

(PDF download)

This cycle was commissioned by the University of Wisconsin-Madison for fellow bass Matthew Treviño, and was subsequently recorded by Mr. Treviño and pianist Scott Gendel for an album exploring 21st-century American song and aria repertoire for bass called The Farther Shore, now released on the Navona Records label.

What initially drew me to the three poems in this cycle is their innate musicality. They are poems written by poets who clearly love words—how words feel in the mouth, how they ring in the ear. While writing the cycle, the poems revealed a thematic thread between them, asking a question: how can one live in a world that sometimes seems overwhelming?

"The second poem, A.E. Stallings’s “Another Lullaby for Insomniacs,” begins a cappella and proceeds with spare accompaniment, showcasing Treviño’s lucid diction and superb interpretation of individual words and phrases. Ferlinghetti’s “Dog,” in the third poem, has a canine whimsically wandering the streets of mid-century San Francisco... Both composer and singer trot through this scenario with growls, yelps, and humorous delight." — Jeff Kaliss, San Francisco Classical Voice

INSTRUMENTATION: bass voice, piano

DURATION: 15:00

PAGES: 20

WORLD PREMIERE: May 3, 2026 at University of Wisconsin-Madison. Matthew Treviño, bass; Will Preston, piano.