La Sirène

Nadia Boulanger composed this cantata in the year she turned 21. Still a student in Charles-Marie Widor’s composition class at the Conservatoire de Paris, she competed in 1908 for the third time for the Grand Prix de Rome (she was sequestered en loge from May 19 to June 16). To her great disappointment, she was awarded only the Deuxième Second Grand Prix (the lower of the two second prizes), with the following comment: “a very musical cantata, abounding in felicitous harmonic inventions, and, although almost exclusively symphonic, showing a keen understanding of the text.” By tradition, candidates were sequestered for four weeks to compose a cantata for solo voices and orchestra on a set text.

This lyric scene opens with a storm at sea. Nadia Boulanger’s orchestra excels at evoking the “whistling of the wind” and the “roaring of the waves”: rushing woodwind flourishes and timpani rolls, joined by a peal of bells. From the outset, the gifted composer displays great mastery of both instrumental and vocal writing. The libretto runs as follows: Anne-Marie (soprano) prays to the Virgin Mary, begging her to save Jann the sailor (tenor), her fiancé, who is in danger of perishing at sea. But the only answer comes from the Siren (mezzo-soprano), known for her cruelty, and Anne-Marie understands that Jann is lost. She then makes a pact with the “Lady of the Sea” to be granted one last moment of farewell. In a calmer atmosphere, Anne-Marie joyfully welcomes her beloved, while in the distance the Siren whispers to her, “Souviens-toi !” Jann and Anne-Marie share a moment of passionate tenderness that lends itself to lyrical outpourings, but Anne-Marie confesses to Jann why this happiness cannot last. He is indignant, yet remains convinced that their love will prevail. He then turns to the ocean, to which he has devoted his life, to bid it farewell, while Anne-Marie sings of her victory over her rival. In an eerie, otherworldly atmosphere in which Nadia Boulanger works her own spells, the enchanting Siren reappears, and the three voices intertwine: Jann falls under her baleful charm, while Anne-Marie still hopes their love will be strong enough to break the spell. The scene ends tragically: the temptress triumphs, and the fiancé is bewitched by her beauty. The orchestra, written on a broad and powerful scale, conveys this simultaneous sense of triumph and despair.

© Anthony Girard

© Palazzetto Bru Zane 2022