Composed in 1941, the Quatre Chansons marked
Milhaud's second time setting a group of poems by Pierre de Ronsard
(1524-1585). Milhaud wrote the set for and dedicated it to soprano Lily Pons,
the diminutive fellow French artist who, a decade earlier, captured the hearts
of New York audiences with her sensational debut at the Metropolitan Opera (the
first major house in which Pons sang). As Donizetti's Lucia in that January 3,
1931 debut, Pons's gamin charm, crystalline voice, and extraordinary vitality
instantly won the hearts of opera enthusiasts. She became a celebrity from
coast to coast, charging fees among the highest of her time. At the
Metropolitan Opera, her presence assured large audiences, making her central to
that financially challenged institution's survival during the decade following
the crash of 1929. Pons premiered the Chansons de Ronsard on December 8, 1941
at New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.
Milhaud's first response to Ronsard's
verse, Les Amours de Ronsard from 1934, was scored for vocal quartet or chorus
accompanied by small orchestra. With the National Socialists developing their
agenda in neighboring Germany, the mid-1930s were an uncomfortable time in
France. These paled in comparison to 1941, however, by which time Milhaud had
fled Nazi-held France to settle in Oakland, California as a visiting professor
at Mills College.
One can only marvel at the composer's
ability to set aside personal turmoil and enter the world of a master poet of
the French Renaissance. Ronsard was a member of the Pléiade, convened to
replicate the purpose and accomplishment of classical writers. Many composers
have been attracted to his verse including, from the poet's own lifetime,
Anthoine de Bertrand, Orlando de Lassus, Jean de Castro, and François Regnard;
from the nineteenth century, Georges Bizet, Pauline Viardot, Jules Massenet,
Richard Wagner, Cécile Chaminade, and Camille Saint-Saëns; and in the twentieth
century, Francis Poulenc, Albert Roussel, Jacques Leguerny, Jacques Ibert,
Arthur Honegger, Frank Martin, and Ned Rorem.
For
this group of four songs, Milhaud designated an orchestra of strings, winds,
brass, and percussion with the unusual requirement that the second clarinetist
also play saxophone in the second and fourth songs. The singer's tessitura is
consistently, demandingly high.
To purchase the CD or download this performance, click here.
Cedille Records is the recording label of The Chicago Classical Recording Foundation, a publicly-supported, not-for-profit, organization devoted to promoting the finest musicians, ensembles, and composers in the Chicago area by producing and releasing their efforts on audiophile-quality recordings. The recordings and their promotion are designed to stimulate interest in these performers and composers and bring their artistry to a wider audience. Cedille Records is also dedicated to promoting interest in neglected areas of the classical repertory by presenting masterpieces that have been overlooked by other recording companies.
Classical Music | Soprano
Darius Milhaud
Quatre Chansons de Ronsard Play
Recorded on 03/25/2002, uploaded on 04/01/2009
Musician's or Publisher's Notes
Darius Milhaud (1892-1974)
Quatre Chansons de Ronsard, Op. 223
Composed in 1941, the Quatre Chansons marked Milhaud's second time setting a group of poems by Pierre de Ronsard (1524-1585). Milhaud wrote the set for and dedicated it to soprano Lily Pons, the diminutive fellow French artist who, a decade earlier, captured the hearts of New York audiences with her sensational debut at the Metropolitan Opera (the first major house in which Pons sang). As Donizetti's Lucia in that January 3, 1931 debut, Pons's gamin charm, crystalline voice, and extraordinary vitality instantly won the hearts of opera enthusiasts. She became a celebrity from coast to coast, charging fees among the highest of her time. At the Metropolitan Opera, her presence assured large audiences, making her central to that financially challenged institution's survival during the decade following the crash of 1929. Pons premiered the Chansons de Ronsard on December 8, 1941 at New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.
Milhaud's first response to Ronsard's verse, Les Amours de Ronsard from 1934, was scored for vocal quartet or chorus accompanied by small orchestra. With the National Socialists developing their agenda in neighboring Germany, the mid-1930s were an uncomfortable time in France. These paled in comparison to 1941, however, by which time Milhaud had fled Nazi-held France to settle in Oakland, California as a visiting professor at Mills College.
One can only marvel at the composer's ability to set aside personal turmoil and enter the world of a master poet of the French Renaissance. Ronsard was a member of the Pléiade, convened to replicate the purpose and accomplishment of classical writers. Many composers have been attracted to his verse including, from the poet's own lifetime, Anthoine de Bertrand, Orlando de Lassus, Jean de Castro, and François Regnard; from the nineteenth century, Georges Bizet, Pauline Viardot, Jules Massenet, Richard Wagner, Cécile Chaminade, and Camille Saint-Saëns; and in the twentieth century, Francis Poulenc, Albert Roussel, Jacques Leguerny, Jacques Ibert, Arthur Honegger, Frank Martin, and Ned Rorem.
For this group of four songs, Milhaud designated an orchestra of strings, winds, brass, and percussion with the unusual requirement that the second clarinetist also play saxophone in the second and fourth songs. The singer's tessitura is consistently, demandingly high.
More music by Darius Milhaud
Le Printemps Op. 18
Ballade for Piano and Orchestra
Scaramouche
Suite d'apres Corrette
La Cheminée du Roi René
Suite for clarinet ,violin and Piano op.157b
La Cheminée du Roi René
Le boeuf sur le toit
La Cheminée du Roi René
Quartet no. 15
Performances by same musician(s)
Suite d'apres Corrette
La Diva de l'Empire (arr. Easley Blackwood)
Trio
Quintet in B minor for Flute, String Trio and Piano
Classical Music for the Internet Era™
To purchase the CD or download this performance, click here.
Cedille Records is the recording label of The Chicago Classical Recording Foundation, a publicly-supported, not-for-profit, organization devoted to promoting the finest musicians, ensembles, and composers in the Chicago area by producing and releasing their efforts on audiophile-quality recordings. The recordings and their promotion are designed to stimulate interest in these performers and composers and bring their artistry to a wider audience. Cedille Records is also dedicated to promoting interest in neglected areas of the classical repertory by presenting masterpieces that have been overlooked by other recording companies.