Classically Unsung: The Art Songs of Alec Wilder

Abstract

The compositions of American composer, Alec Wilder, span multiple, often disparate, genres within the classical and popular music styles. During his lifetime, much of Wilder’s greatest success came from his popular songs. However, his body of work is much more vast, and some of his vocal work should be classified as art song. Wilder’s formal training, aptitude for learning, and experiences with popular music provided him with a diverse artistic palette and a unique musical voice. This resultant style is eclectic and includes modality, rhythmic motives, melodic figures, extended harmonies, and text painting.Wilder scholars, David Demsey and Ronald Prather categorized one hundred and seventeen of Wilder’s compositions as art songs. From this group, nine songs were selected and analyzed according to academically accepted characteristics of Art Song: poetry, harmony and melody, the relationship between the voice and the piano, text setting, phrasing and structure, form, and vocal demands in order to justify the songs’identification as art songs. Furthermore, this document contains brief biographical information on Alec Wilder’s life, career, and varied musical endeavors as well as a concise discussion of scholarly literature concerning the composer and his oeuvre.Alec Wilder composed music within multiple genres and styles. His output is prolific, yet his art songs remain relatively unknown. It is hopeful that this document will bring new attention to Alec Wilder, and, specifically, his art songs.