A prolific composer, Leo Smit wrote two operas and over ninety songs, with the majority of his songs on the text of Emily Dickinson as part of his work The Ecstatic Pilgrimage. Smit was also the premiere performer of Aaron Copland's piano works during his lifetime, as well as a conductor and dedicated educator. In addition to Dickinson, Smit also set the texts of Beth Frost, Thomas Hardy, Anthony Hecht, Robert Lowell, Theodore Roethke, Anne Sexton, and Marcia Willieme, in addition to many others.
Photo: Leo Smit, self-portrait, University of Buffalo Music Library
Songs & Song Collections BY Smit
(entered to date)
- After great pain, a formal feeling comes — (in Beyond Circumference)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- The Angle of a Landscape — (in Tinted Mountains)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- At least — to pray — is left (in Beyond Circumference)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- Better — than Music! For I — who heard it — (in The Celestial Thrush)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- Beyond Circumference - Song Collection
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- Bind me — I still can sing — (in The Celestial Thrush)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- The Bird her punctual music brings (in The Celestial Thrush)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- The Bobolink is gone — (in The Celestial Thrush)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- The Celestial Thrush - Song Collection
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- The Child's faith is new — (in Childe Emilie)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- Childe Emilie - Song Collection
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- Departed — to the Judgment — (in Beyond Circumference)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- The Earth has many keys - (in The Celestial Thrush)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- The Ecstatic Pilgrimage - Song Collection
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- Extol thee — could I? Then I will (in The Marigold Heart)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- The face I carry with me — last — (in The Marigold Heart)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- The Fingers of the Light (in Tinted Mountains)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- Four Trees — upon a solitary Acre — (in Tinted Mountains)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- Go slow, my soul, to feed thyself (in Beyond Circumference)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- Good Morning — Midnight — (in Childe Emilie)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- Heart, not so heavy as mine (in The Celestial Thrush)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- I cannot dance upon my Toes — (in The Celestial Thrush)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- I cried at Pity — not at Pain — (in Childe Emilie)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- I died for beauty, but was scarce (in Beyond Circumference)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- I dwell in Possibility — (in The White Diadem)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- I have no Life but this — (in The Marigold Heart)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- I heard a Fly buzz — when I died — (in Beyond Circumference)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- I reason, Earth is short — (in The Marigold Heart)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- I reckon — when I count it all — (in The White Diadem)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- I saw no Way — The Heavens were stitched — (in Beyond Circumference)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- I see thee better — in the Dark — (in Tinted Mountains)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- I shall keep singing! (in The Celestial Thrush)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- I shall know why — when Time is over — (in Beyond Circumference)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- I was a Phoebe — nothing more — (in The Celestial Thrush)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- I was the slightest in the House — (in Childe Emilie)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- I went to Heaven — (in Beyond Circumference)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- I would not paint — a picture — (in The White Diadem)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- I'm ceded — I've stopped being Theirs — (in Childe Emilie)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- I've seen a Dying Eye (in Beyond Circumference)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- Image of Light, Adieu — (in Tinted Mountains)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- Is it too late to touch you, Dear? (in The Marigold Heart)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- It troubled me as once I was — (in Childe Emilie)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- Let Us play Yesterday — (in Childe Emilie)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- A Light exists in Spring (in Tinted Mountains)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- A loss of something ever felt I — (in Childe Emilie)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- The Marigold Heart - Song Collection
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- The Martyr Poets — did not tell — (in The White Diadem)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- Me prove it now — Whoever doubt (in The Marigold Heart)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- Me — come! My dazzled face (in The White Diadem)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- The Mountain sat upon the Plain (in Tinted Mountains)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- The Mountains stood in Haze — (in Tinted Mountains)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- My Life had stood — a Loaded Gun — (in The Marigold Heart)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- Of Course — I prayed — (in Beyond Circumference)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- Of Tolling Bell I ask the cause? (in Beyond Circumference)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- Papa above! (in Childe Emilie)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- The Poets light but Lamps — (in The White Diadem)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- So well that I can live without — (in The Marigold Heart)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- Softened by Time's consummate plush (in Childe Emilie)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- The Sun kept setting — setting — still (in Beyond Circumference)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- That Such have died enable Us (in Beyond Circumference)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- That first Day, when you praised Me, Sweet (in The Marigold Heart)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- The first Day's Night had come — (in Beyond Circumference)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- There came a Day at Summer's full (in The Marigold Heart)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- There is a pain — so utter — (in The Marigold Heart)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- There's a certain Slant of light (in Tinted Mountains)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- They shut me up in Prose — (in Childe Emilie)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- Through lane it lay — through bramble — (in Childe Emilie)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- Tinted Mountains - Song Collection
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- Title divine — is mine! (in The Marigold Heart)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- To pile like Thunder to its close (in The White Diadem)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- A train went through a burial gate (in The Celestial Thrush)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- 'Twas the old — road — through pain — (in Beyond Circumference)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- Under the Light, yet under (in Tinted Mountains)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- Up Life's Hill with my my little Bundle (in Childe Emilie)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- Upon his Saddle sprung a Bird (in The Celestial Thrush)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- We dream — it is good we are dreaming — (in Beyond Circumference)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- We talked as Girls do — (in Childe Emilie)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- What if I say I shall not wait! (in Beyond Circumference)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- What shall I do — it whimpers so — (in The Marigold Heart)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- The White Diadem - Song Collection
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- A Wife — at daybreak I shall be — (in The Marigold Heart)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- Wild Nights — Wild Nights! (in The Marigold Heart)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
- Within my Garden, rides a Bird (in The Celestial Thrush)
- Text:
- Emily Dickinson
