Fauré's famous 'Après un rêve' (around 1878) is believed to express his misery after his engagement to Marianne Viardot, daughter of mezzo-soprano Pauline Viardot, was called off.
Historical Context
Four of Poulenc's five songs on this album, all dating from the Second World War, are addressed not to individuals but to other recipients, such as France itself.
Composition History
Ravel's 'Trois Beaux Oiseaux du Paradis' (1915) began as a three-part song to his own words and was later transcribed for voice and piano, reflecting the contemporary relevance of 'my love is at the war'.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The performers, Sabine Devieilhe (soprano) and Alexandre Tharaud (piano), aimed to create a program that would take listeners to unexpected places, like a recital.
Compositional Technique
Debussy's 'Apparition' (1884) features an operatic vocal line with a wide range, and its music for the phrase 'dans le calme des fleurs vaporeuses' reappeared in his opera Pelléas et Mélisande.
Composition History
Fauré, with over 100 mélodies written between 1861 and 1921, laid much of the groundwork for his immediate successors in French song.
Historical Context
The French mélodie, a type of art song, evolved from the romance popular in the early 19th century, often focusing on themes of love.
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