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The French art song, or mélodie

In the hierarchy of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century repertoires, the French mélodie – sometimes for two voices and piano, more often for one voice with accompaniment – stands at the summit.

Its fair assessment requires deep understanding of poetry and an appreciation of detail. Symbolist thoughts or, at the other extreme, lines borrowed from Ronsard or Villon, make it into a genre that is above all literary. This refinement – seen as elitist – explains why the mélodie is still not a ‘popular’ genre, one with general appeal, especially since some of this music (oddly, the pieces that are heard most frequently in concert) often refuses direct expression of feeling. The singer has to have the talent of a storyteller; the pianist must be able to create an imaginary orchestra. Launched by Gounod and Berlioz, the vogue for the mélodie flourished among the conservative composers (Dubois, Massé, Delibes, Paladilhe, Hahn and others), as well as among the innovators, such as Chausson, Debussy, Ravel and Poulenc, with Gabriel Fauré as the undisputed master of the genre.

Videos

Recollection: César Franck’s songs – concert by Tassis Christoyannis and Jeff Cohen
Escapism in song - Cyrille Dubois & Tristan Raës
Nuits – concert by Véronique Gens & I Giardini
La soprano Véronique Gens et la mélodie française
Le baryton Tassis Christoyannis et la mélodie française
Reynaldo HAHN, Complete Songs - Boxed set 4 CDs

Related persons

Composer

Charles GOUNOD

(1818 - 1893)

Conductor, Composer, Journalist

Hector BERLIOZ

(1803 - 1869)

Composer, Pianist

Georges BIZET

(1838 - 1875)

Composer

Louis NIEDERMEYER

(1802 - 1861)

Composer, Organist

Théodore DUBOIS

(1837 - 1924)

Composer

Victor MASSÉ

(1822 - 1884)

Composer, Organist

Léo DELIBES

(1836 - 1891)

Composer

Émile PALADILHE

(1844 - 1926)

Composer, Organist, Pianist, Journalist

Camille SAINT-SAËNS

(1835 - 1921)

Composer, Organist, Pianist

Gabriel FAURÉ

(1845 - 1924)

Composer

Henri DUPARC

(1848 - 1933)

Composer

Ernest CHAUSSON

(1855 - 1899)

Conductor, Composer

Reynaldo HAHN

(1874 - 1947)

Composer, Pianist

Claude DEBUSSY

(1862 - 1918)

Conductor, Composer, Pianist

Maurice RAVEL

(1875 - 1937)

Composer

Francis POULENC

(1899 - 1963)

Related works

Après un rêve

Gabriel FAURÉ

Ariettes oubliées

Claude DEBUSSY

/

Paul VERLAINE

Les Berceaux op. 23 no 1

Gabriel FAURÉ

La Bonne Chanson

Gabriel FAURÉ

/

Paul VERLAINE

La Captive

Hector BERLIOZ

/

Victor HUGO

La Cendre rouge

Camille SAINT-SAËNS

La Chanson des aventuriers de la mer op. 2

Vincent d' INDY

/

Victor HUGO

Chanson perpétuelle

Ernest CHAUSSON

Cinq Mélodies de Venise op. 58

Gabriel FAURÉ

/

Paul VERLAINE

Cinq Poèmes de Ronsard

Camille SAINT-SAËNS

Clairières dans le ciel

Lili BOULANGER

/

Francis JAMMES

Fêtes galantes, 1re série

Claude DEBUSSY

/

Paul VERLAINE

Fêtes galantes, 2e série

Claude DEBUSSY

/

Paul VERLAINE

Les Heures claires

Nadia BOULANGER Raoul PUGNO

Histoires naturelles

Maurice RAVEL

Lied maritime op. 43

Vincent d' INDY

Mélodies persanes op. 26

Camille SAINT-SAËNS

Mélodies

Henri DUPARC

Mélodies irlandaises

Hector BERLIOZ

Musiques sur l’eau

Théodore DUBOIS

/

Albert SAMAIN

Quatre Chants

Lili BOULANGER

Six Fables de La Fontaine

Jacques OFFENBACH

Six Poèmes arabes

Louis AUBERT

Trois Vieilles Chansons

Camille SAINT-SAËNS

Venezia

Reynaldo HAHN

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