Program Notes:

In three distinct poems, Israeli poet Leah Goldberg explores events that unfold after sunset, from the evening into the late night. These poems have been compiled into a short song cycle for baritone (or bass-baritone) and piano. Though set against the backdrop of night, these songs share a common thread in their portrayal of an uneasy, often desperate, state of mind.
 

The first song, An Evening at the Coffeehouse, reflects on the passage of time and the hidden clock that leads to life's inevitable end. The second, The Actor Says, is styled as a monologue delivered by an actor who is acutely aware that the roles he plays are merely masks concealing his true, dark, and tormented soul. The third song, On the Nights, tells the story of a man haunted by a past love to the extent that it drives him to take his own life.