“Nunca Olvida” and “Los Dos Miedos” by Joaquin Turina are compositions from the song cycle Poema en Forma de Canciones. The songs were first published in 1923 in Madrid, although the author’s music is also well known and cherished in Seville, where he was born and spent a long time (“De Margot a passion” 2018). This paper aims to analyze “Nunca Olvida” and “Los Dos Miedos” by Joaquin Turina in terms of vocals and instrument use.
These pieces are two of five songs that constitute the Poema en Forma de Canciones song cycle. “Nunca Olvida” was written for soprano and piano or orchestra, like the rest of the compositions in the cycle. It provides an opportunity for sensual female performance and captivates the listener. The soprano theme, intense and delicate, is accompanied by a somewhat drawn-out and even superficial piano accompaniment that frames and balances out the more impassioned vocals. The Poema en Forma de Canciones was written in the middle of the composer’s career and is a collection of ‘vignettes,’ love songs (“Never forget,” 2022). “Nunca Olvida,” tells the story of a man who, thinking about death, says that he is ready to forgive all his enemies, facing God, but not the woman he loved.
The song “Los Dos Miedos,” the fourth song from Poema en Forma de Canciones, is performed by a tenor, and the vocal part is less saturated, compared to the expressiveness of the accompaniment. It seems that the dialogue presented in the song takes place more quietly, while the accompaniment shows what is hidden behind the restraint of words – a wide and emotional perception. “Los Dos Miedos,” which translates to “two fears,” is a song in which lovers exchange innocent reproaches about being scared when they’re too close, and just as scared when they’re too far apart (“Los dos miedos,” 2022). Interestingly, in eight lines, the author genuinely expressed a theme that is so familiar to many lovers.
Thus, “Nunca Olvida” and “Los Dos Miedos” compositions by Joaquin Turina were analyzed. These pieces belong to the cycle Poema en Forma de Canciones which contains only five songs. These are love songs, very short, and at the same time very passionate, deep, emotional, and tender. Both songs use the contrast between vocals and accompaniment, which creates additional dynamics. They are gentle and melodic and allow the listener to plunge into a new unknown world of love feelings.
Reference
De Margot a passion. (2018). CofradiasTv.
Never forget. (2022). TheLiederNetArchive.
Los dos miedos. (2022). TheLiederNetArchive.