Tapestry of Voices

My life closed twice before its close
By Emily Dickinson

My life closed twice before its close—
It yet remains to see
If Immortality unveil
A third event to me

So huge, so hopeless to conceive
As these that twice befell.
Parting is all we know of heaven,
And all we need of hell.

The piece begins with a somber introduction in C# minor. In the right hand, in the low register, there is a motive of a rising major third triplet followed by a falling major second quarter note. The soprano’s melodic lines, in C# (“My life closed twice before its close”) and E minor (“It yet remains to see”), span the leap of a minor seventh and indicate Dickinson’s questioning spirit. Next, the listener hears “If Immortality unveil/A third event to me” in two distinct, melodic phrases, first in E minor and second in Bb major. As tension builds, the ascending melodic line leads to a powerful climax on the repeated word “befell.” There is a significant harmonic shift, a singing of high B’s and C’s, and a shattering, emotional breakdown. The introduction then returns in fragmented form to imply fragility. In the song’s conclusion, the soprano softly sings “parting” two times with the piano echoing in descending minor thirds. Then, as Dickinson reflects about heaven and hell, the piano becomes almost consoling, with earlier, tense music now seemingly comforting. Finally, the pianist finishes by quietly sustaining a C augmented chord in the uppermost register.

— John J. Craven