Deux Poèmes de Lord Byron (Tailleferre)
Encyclopedia
"Deux poèmes de Lord Byron" (in English "Two Poems of Lord Byron") are the only known songs set to an English text by Germaine Tailleferre
and date from 1934. Although Tailleferre's manuscript has disappeared, a photocopy was found in the papers of the Italian mezzo-soprano
and musicologist Patricia Adkins-Chiti, who provided a copy which served as the source for their publication in 2003 by the French publisher Musik Fabrik.
These two songs were premièred in Paris on December 14, 1934 by the Soprano
Anita Réal with the composer at the piano on a programme which also contained the version for two pianos of her "Concerto for two pianos, chorus, saxophone quartet and Orchestra". It has been suggested in Robert Shapiro's "Germaine Tailleferre: a Biblio-biography" (Greenwood Press 1994) that these settings were intended for a theatrical production, but no evidence has been found to prove this supposition.
The texts by Byron are "In moments to delight devoted" subtitled "From the Portuguese: "Tu Mi Chamas" and "Remembrance" from Hours of Idleness. The work lasts about five minutes.
Germaine Tailleferre
Germaine Tailleferre was a French composer and the only female member of the famous composers' group Les Six.-Biography:...
and date from 1934. Although Tailleferre's manuscript has disappeared, a photocopy was found in the papers of the Italian mezzo-soprano
Mezzo-soprano
A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above...
and musicologist Patricia Adkins-Chiti, who provided a copy which served as the source for their publication in 2003 by the French publisher Musik Fabrik.
These two songs were premièred in Paris on December 14, 1934 by the Soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
Anita Réal with the composer at the piano on a programme which also contained the version for two pianos of her "Concerto for two pianos, chorus, saxophone quartet and Orchestra". It has been suggested in Robert Shapiro's "Germaine Tailleferre: a Biblio-biography" (Greenwood Press 1994) that these settings were intended for a theatrical production, but no evidence has been found to prove this supposition.
The texts by Byron are "In moments to delight devoted" subtitled "From the Portuguese: "Tu Mi Chamas" and "Remembrance" from Hours of Idleness. The work lasts about five minutes.