Laura Smolik- Calypso

Cabaret Songs
Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)
W.H. Auden (1907-1973)

Composed between 1937 and 1939

The 1930s marked the height of Benjamin Britten and poet W. H. Auden’s collaborative time together. Despite their differing political views and Auden’s openly gay lifestyle, which was a bit too radical for the shy and reserved composer, the two were able to work together to produce compelling works. Occasionally, Auden would write texts explicitly with Britten in mind, attempting to persuade him into recognizing his own sexual identity and thus being free to fully realize his dreams. These four Cabaret Songs, which were written over a period of two years, use texts that reflect the times Auden enjoyed in the seedy cabaret nightlife of Berlin in the early 1930s.

The nervousness and excited energy of Calypso bring a close to this set. The ever present churning of the piano and the breathlessness of the vocal line highlight the urgency in Auden’s text. With the final “faster, faster, faster…” seemingly appearing out of nowhere, the audience is left just as harried and exhausted as the performers.