Albert Giraud, the Belgian poet, published his work "Pierrot Lunaire" in 1884 at the age of 24, originally under the name Emil Albert Kayenbergh.
Compositional Technique
Every poem in Giraud's "Pierrot Lunaire" collection is written in the strict rondel form: thirteen lines divided 4-4-5, with a fixed rhyme scheme and repeated lines.
Composition History
Roger Marsh's "Pierrot Lunaire" was commissioned by the Hilliard Ensemble in 2000 for their annual summer school, giving him the opportunity to set Giraud's original French poems.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Giraud's "Pierrot Lunaire" poems, with their surreal imagery, were ahead of their time, predating Dadaism and Surrealism by thirty years.
Recording & Production
The costs of recording this "Pierrot Lunaire" album were supported by the University of York and a donation from Kay Bourlier, the translator.
Interpretation
Roger Marsh's setting of "Pierrot Lunaire" uses both French and English, with some poems sung in French and 'translated' by a reciter, and others in various combinations of the two languages.
Performer Biography
John Potter, a member of the Hilliard Ensemble, rejoined the group specifically for this recording, with the agreement of their current tenor, Steven Harrold.
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