Ethelbert NEVIN (1862-1901)
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Ethelbert Woodbridge Nevin was an American pianist and composer. Born in Pennsylvania, he began playing the set, and appeared in issue 122. : Shakespeare’s Ophelia (from ) is the subject of this beautiful, if not a little dark and eerie piece in the key of E minor. Nevin even includes an Ophelia quote, ‘Pansies, that’s for thoughts’, above the score. One pictures her aimlessly wandering, singing this hypnotic, melancholy tune (keep a gliding tempo and remain ). As light relief, Nevin suddenly throws in barcarolle at bar 53 (in the sunnier key of A major, where dynamics soar to ), which may signify Ophelia’s distracted mental state. But the darkness of her lunacy returns at bar 72 (the melody sounds more threatening in its embellished state). The ending should sound veiled and dark as her fate awaits.
