Francis Poulenc (1899–1963)
lived and worked in early 20th-century France, contributing a
variety of compositions including French art songs or melodies. A member of Les
Six, a group of composers who reacted against Impressionism in France and
supported the neoclassical style, Poulenc began his music studies at a young
age and found influence in the chanson tradition as well as popular styles
drawn from cabarets and revues. Other members of Les Six include Arthur Honegger,
Darius Milhaud, Germaine Tailleferre, Georges Auric, and Louis Durey. Poulenc
spent time in Paris studying with Erik Satie who grew to be a good friend and
influence on the burgeoning composer’s music. He is not known to be inventive
but believed it was of the utmost importance to focus his efforts on melody. Poulenc
once said, “I know perfectly well that I’m not one of those composers who have
made harmonic innovations like Igor [Stravinsky], Ravel or Debussy, but I think
there’s room for new music which doesn’t mind using other people’s chords.
Wasn’t that the case with Mozart—Schubert?”
Poulenc enjoyed
poetry and spent time setting many modern French poems to music. Some of his
favorite poets include Guillaume Apollinaire, Jean Cocteau, and Paul Éluard.
Today, I’d like to look closer at one famous Poulenc song cycle that uses
poetry by Paul Éluard: Tel Jour telle
nuit. Poulenc composed this cycle between 1936 and 1937. It includes nine
melodies that cover the course of a day, beginning in the morning, and ending
at night. In total, Poulenc set thirty-four of Éluard’s poems, admitting that
he enjoyed turning the poet’s images into musical settings.
You can listen
and read the text to the final mélodie in Tel
Jour telle nuit below. This last piece relates to the first in the cycle in
that they share keys, themes, and contain piano postludes. Poulenc asked Éluard
for assistance in titling this cycle and ended up choosing the poet’s second
option, which when translated means “As the day, so the night,” which also
shows contrast between the opening and closing songs.
We did the night
I hold your hand I watch
I will uphold you
with all my strength
I burn on a rock
star of your strength
Deep grooves
where the goodness of your body spout
I repeat your
voice hidden your public voice
I laugh yet the
proud
That you treat
like a beggar
Crazy you respect
simple where you bathe you
And in my head
that starts softly agree with yours the night
I marvel at the
unknown you become
A similar unknown
like you at all what I like
Which is always
new.
