When I Am Dead, My Dearest

When I Am Dead, My Dearest was conceived as a partner piece to Dido’s Lament from Henry Purcell’s opera, Dido and Aeneas. Purcell’s aria begins, “When I am laid in earth”; Rossetti’s poem begins, “When I am dead.” Purcell ends with “Remember me, but ah, forget my fate”; Rossetti’s poem ends, “Haply I may remember and haply may forget.” To highlight the textual similarities, there are melodic and rhythmic connections between the two pieces of music. When I Am Dead was premiered by the Buffalo Chamber Players in April 2018, following a performance of the Purcell aria. The choral version was premiered by Vocális Chamber Choir in June 2019. The piece is dedicated to the memory of Michael Friedman.