Clairières dans le ciel
| Pieces | I. Elle était descendue au bas de la prairie – II. Elle est gravement gaie – III. Parfois, je suis triste – IV. Un poète disait… – V. Au pied de mon lit – VI. Si tout ceci n’est qu’un pauvre rêve – VII. Nous nous aimerons tant – VIII. Vous m’avez regardé avec toute votre âme – IX. Les lilas qui avaient fleuri – X. Deux ancolies – XI. Parce que j’ai souffert – XII. Je garde une médaille d’elle – XIII. Demain fera un an |
| Scoring | one voice and piano |
| Text | Francis Jammes |
| Date | 1913-1914 |
| Premiere | The complete cycle was performed on June 9, 1921, by Gabriel Paulet (tenor) and Nadia Boulanger (piano) at the Salle Pleyel, at a concert billed as “Audition d’œuvres de Lili Boulanger précédée d’une causerie de Camille Mauclair” |
| Duration | 40 min |
| Dedicatee | 1. Gabriel Fauré |
Commentary
Lili Boulanger began this cycle during her first stay in Rome (from March to late June 1914) and completed it in Nice (between September and early November 1914). In these thirteen songs, on poems by Francis Jammes taken from Tristesses, romantic reverie, a longing for happiness, communion with nature, and mystical sensibility come together. Lili Boulanger felt a complete affinity with this poetic world, a mysterious mirror of her inner life. Here the qualities of her vocal writing come into full bloom, above all her exceptionally refined prosody: the young composer stretches syllables or compresses them, favoring lyricism and intelligibility by turns; the melodic line bends downward in search of softness, or climbs upward for greater brilliance or added delicacy. So attentive and meticulous an approach reflects an acute awareness of the weight of words. It also bears witness to a soul drawn to light yet haunted by darkness, now ardent, now resigned, which suddenly withdraws only to reveal deep feelings.
The harmony serves this emotional multiplicity; the young composer is drawn to simplicity, but is just as fond of a certain harshness. While the colors of her palette are vivid, at times resplendent like the flowers she evokes so gracefully, a momentary austerity suits her just as well. This spellbinding score is a stage for both sorrow and joy, with restraint in melancholy as in distress. The piano writing confirms a gift for landscape painting, a talent for luminous, transparent textures. Yet the many timbres of the orchestra, often latent, help to broaden the sonic space.
The tonal journey runs from E major—vitality—to D minor—death. It is therefore best to perform the cycle in its entirety, for the meaning of the work unfolds little by little, revealing itself fully in the last song, of overwhelming intensity.
Editions
© Ricordi 1919
© Durand 1970
Notes
Eight songs (nos. 1, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, and 13) were orchestrated by Nadia Boulanger between 1915 and 1921.
© Anthony Girard
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