"Is The Moon Tired" [Netty Simons]

"Is The Moon Tired" [Netty Simons]

First line of lyrics: Is the moon tired? she looks so pale

Part of: "Set of poems for children"

Simons, Netty; music (American, born Netty Rothenberg, 1913-1994)

Rossetti, Christina Georgina; text (English, 1830-1894)

1949 [publication]

New York: American Composers Alliance. New York: N. Simons

genre: children's music|recitation song|song cycle

solo: spoken narration

instrumentation: string and wind octet

initial sharps/flats: no sharps or flats

initial time signature: 2/2

origin: United States

female composer

English

Rossetti poem(s): "'Is the moon tired? she looks so pale'"

Place in the larger work: The fourth song of five in the song cycle called “Set of poems for children” which includes 1. "Night was creeping" (James Stephens); 2. "Rain" (Rob't. L. Stevenson); 3. "Fog" (Carl Sandburg); 4. "Is the moon tired" (Christina Rossetti); 5. "My shadow" (Rob't. L. Stevenson).

Composition history: "She composed the music for her own children who, when they were little, loved to listen to her improvising at the piano while reading their favorite verses." (Liner Notes)

Tempo markings: "Lento, molto copressivo"; half note = 60

Performance instructions: "moeto int. a tempo piu mosso." The vocal annotation is exclusively written with ghost notes.

Performance history: "First performed by the New York Philharmonic Chamber Ensemble when it was under
the direction of the late Dimitri Mitropoulos. The narrator then, as now, was BARBARA BRITTON." (Liner Notes)

Recordings: "Set of Poems for Children: No. 4, Is the Moon Tired?." Performance by Barbara Britton, narrator, James Stark, violin, Albert Gillis, viola, Peter Farrell, cello, Bertram Turetzky, bass, Peter Middleton, flute, Melvin Warner, oboe, Larry Livingston, clarinet, Ronald Grun, bassoon, Edwin London, conductor. Music for Young Listeners by Netty Simons, Composers Recordings Inc. (CRI 309), 1973, New World Records (NWCRI309), 2010. New World Records, www.newworldrecords.org/products/simons-music-for-young-listeners. Spotify, open.spotify.com/track/5aNdHSGbySNe3mmI8ucx5q?si=943ec5d904334ec2. Accessed 14 Feb. 2023.

Notes: A stamp at the bottom right of each page of the manuscript score reads: Circle Blue Print Co., Inc., | 225 West 57th Street | New York 19, N. Y.

Format 1: musical score

5 pages (pp. 15-19) [manuscript]; performance time 2 minutes 34 seconds; complete song cycle performance time 8 minutes

In reference to the published works below: Gooch and Thatcher 4501

Reference: Gooch, Bryan N.S. and David S. Thatcher. Musical Settings of Early and Mid-Victorian Literature: A Catalogue. New York: Garland, 1979.

Reference: Ezust, Emily. The LiederNet Archive. http://www.lieder.net/lieder/index.html

Other data reference(s): “Netty Simons: Music for Young Listeners.” New World Records, www.newworldrecords.org/products/simons-music-for-young-listeners.
Liner Notes. Music for Young Listeners by Netty Simons, Composers Recordings Inc. (CRI 309), 1973. Discogs, www.discogs.com/release/14641660-Netty-Simons-Featuring-Barbara-Britton-And-Lou-Gilbert-Music-For-Young-Listeners-The-Pied-Piper-Pudd. New World Records, www.newworldrecords.org/products/simons-music-for-young-listeners. Accessed 14 Feb. 2023.
Record for "Set of poems." WorldCat, worldcat.org/en/title/79320389. Accessed 14 Feb. 2023.
Record for "Set of poems for children : (1949)." WordCat, worldcat.org/en/title/48045236. Accessed 14 Feb. 2023.

Cataloguer: Matthew Foti and Roxanne Lafleur, University of Ottawa

Music Score: Vassar College Music Library, Poughkeepsie, New York

Record: CRM-isthemoontired-simons

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