Fand Catalogue

  

Songs Without the Words

Volume 1

for solo piano

Peter Warlock

arr. John Mitchell

This product has a total of 4 review excerpts; reload the page to see other quotations at random or take a look at all the reviews of this publication.

	Even without the words Warlock’s songs convey a musical logic which can speak for itself.
	—Jonathan Carne, Peter Warlock Society News (#206 Spring 2020 42–3)

	The piano arrangements of Sleep and the other songs in these volumes are able to work rather well as solo pieces by virtue of their harmonic strength coupled to purposeful, often dance-like rhythms and varied textures.
	—Jonathan Carne, Peter Warlock Society News (#206 Spring 2020 42–3)

Peter Warlock (1894–1930) is rightly famed for his 120 or so solo songs. They vary enormously in range, from the uproariously extrovert drinking songs, via those on pleasingly charming pastoral themes, and through tender love songs to the hauntingly sad and desolating songs of The Curlew. Another feature they share is that they are more often than not quite melodically distinguished and attractive.

The cue for arranging the nine songs of this volume as piano pieces came in the form of a piano transcription that Alec Rowley had made many years ago of Warlock’s song Milkmaids. Including the latter in a recent concert, it struck John Mitchell that a similar treatment might be extended to some of the other songs in Warlock’s output. The arrangements here may appeal especially to those pianists who greatly enjoy accompanying these songs, but may not always have a singer on hand to contribute the vocal line (the latter now being incorporated into the piano texture).

ALSO AVAILABLE: Volume 2.

Sample pages

(Click to enlarge)

		Composer	Title	Grade	Forces	Total duration
		Peter Warlock arr. John Mitchell	Songs Without the Words Volume 1 for solo piano	5 to 8	Piano	13 mins
	#	Composer	Movement		Forces	Duration
	1	Peter Warlock arr. John Mitchell	The Bachelor		Piano	¾ minute
	2		Late Summer			2 mins
	3		The Night			2 mins
	4		Adam lay ybounden			1 minute
	5		The Lover Mourns for the Loss of Love			1¼ mins
	6		Sweet Content			1½ mins
	7		A Sad Song			1½ mins
	8		Lullaby			1½ mins
	9		Captain Stratton’s Fancy			1½ mins

Recorded performance

Performed by the arranger: John Mitchell, Piano

Additionally, we have an alternative new performance of this work:
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9:
Ennio Caironi, Piano

Catalogue code: FM219 • Published: 31st December 2019
Entry last updated: 20th February 2025