Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird

Juliana Hall’s song setting of the famous Wallace Stevens poem Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird was commissioned by saxophonist Carrie Koffman (faculty, Hartt and Yale Schools of Music). Koffman had the idea to commission a setting of this poem in 13 parts, and to present each part in a very short performance at one of the 13 stops along the Wallace Stevens Walk in Hartford, Connecticut (the path Stevens traversed daily as he walked to and from his job at The Hartford Insurance Company). Being a song composer, Hall asked if she could write the piece with voice, which Koffman enthusiastically embraced. The work, then, is for either a soprano or a mezzo soprano voice, with alto saxophone, and is a single work in 13 parts. The premiere took place on Saturdy, October 16, 2021 along the Wallace Stevens Walk, performed on this outdoor excursion by soprano Cherie Caluda (Hartt voice faculty) and Koffman on saxophone. The indoor premiere took place soon after, on Sunday, October 24, 2021, as part of a concert at the Hartt School of Music devoted to the works of Juliana Hall.