Le Temps L'Horloge
Encyclopedia
Le temps l'horloge is a work for soprano and orchestra, written by French composer Henri Dutilleux
, who composed the three songs in this cycle between 2006 and 2007. It is based on two poems by Jean Tardieu
("Le temps l'horloge" and "Le masque"), one by Robert Desnos
("Le dernier poème"') and Charles Baudelaire
's prose-poem, "Enivrez-vous".
The work was composed for American soprano Renée Fleming
, whom Dutilleux called "a great artist". The composer further said, "I constantly thought of her voice's character, of her power of lyrical expression" while writing the piece (Weininger 2007).
(Seiji Ozawa
, Director), the Boston Symphony Orchestra
(James Levine
, Music Director), and the Orchestre National de France
(Kurt Masur
, Music Director) (May 2007, 1).
Seiji Ozawa led Fleming and the Saito Kinen Orchestra in the world premiere on September 6, 2007, at the Saito Kinen Festival
in Matsumoto City, Japan (May 2007, 1). Fleming gave the American premiere with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by James Levine
, on November 29, 2007, and the same performers gave the New York premiere on 3 December 2007, in the Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall
(Driscoll 2008).
The première of the complete work with an added interlude and a fourth poem took place on 7 May 2009 at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées
, Paris. The performers included Renée Fleming
(soprano), the Orchestre National de Radio France
and Seiji Ozawa
(conductor) (Machart 2009).
Henri Dutilleux
Henri Dutilleux is one of the most important French composers of the second half of the 20th century, producing work in the tradition of Maurice Ravel, Claude Debussy, and Albert Roussel, but in a style distinctly his own...
, who composed the three songs in this cycle between 2006 and 2007. It is based on two poems by Jean Tardieu
Jean Tardieu
Jean Tardieu was a French artist, musician, poet and dramatic author. He earned a degree in literature and worked for a publishing house. He published several poetry collections in the 1930s before starting to write for the stage...
("Le temps l'horloge" and "Le masque"), one by Robert Desnos
Robert Desnos
Robert Desnos , was a French surrealist poet who played a key role in the Surrealist movement of his day.- Biography :...
("Le dernier poème"') and Charles Baudelaire
Charles Baudelaire
Charles Baudelaire was a French poet who produced notable work as an essayist, art critic, and pioneering translator of Edgar Allan Poe. His most famous work, Les Fleurs du mal expresses the changing nature of beauty in modern, industrializing Paris during the nineteenth century...
's prose-poem, "Enivrez-vous".
The work was composed for American soprano Renée Fleming
Renée Fleming
Renée Fleming is an American soprano specializing in opera and lieder. Fleming has a full lyric soprano voice.Fleming has performed coloratura, lyric, and lighter spinto soprano repertoires. She has sung roles in Italian, German, French, Czech, and Russian, aside from her native English. She also...
, whom Dutilleux called "a great artist". The composer further said, "I constantly thought of her voice's character, of her power of lyrical expression" while writing the piece (Weininger 2007).
Performance history
Le temps l'horloge was jointly commissioned by the Saito Kinen Festival MatsumotoSaito Kinen Festival Matsumoto
Saito Kinen Festival Matsumoto is an annual classical music festival held in August and September in the Japanese Alps near Matsumoto. Founded in 1992 by music director Seiji Ozawa, the festival's resident orchestra is the renowned Saito Kinen Orchestra....
(Seiji Ozawa
Seiji Ozawa
is a Japanese conductor, particularly noted for his interpretations of large-scale late Romantic works. He is most known for his work as music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and principal conductor of the Vienna State Opera.-Early years:...
, Director), the Boston Symphony Orchestra
Boston Symphony Orchestra
The Boston Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1881, the BSO plays most of its concerts at Boston's Symphony Hall and in the summer performs at the Tanglewood Music Center...
(James Levine
James Levine
James Lawrence Levine is an American conductor and pianist. He is currently the music director of the Metropolitan Opera and former music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Levine's first performance conducting the Metropolitan Opera was on June 5, 1971, and as of May 2011 he has...
, Music Director), and the Orchestre National de France
Orchestre National de France
The Orchestre national de France is a symphony orchestra run by Radio France. It has also been known as the Orchestre national de la Radiodiffusion française and Orchestre national de l'Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision Française .Since 1944, the orchestra has been based in the Théâtre...
(Kurt Masur
Kurt Masur
Kurt Masur is a German conductor, particularly noted for his interpretation of German Romantic music.- Biography :Masur was born in Brieg, Lower Silesia, Germany and studied piano, composition and conducting in Leipzig, Saxony. Masur has been married three times...
, Music Director) (May 2007, 1).
Seiji Ozawa led Fleming and the Saito Kinen Orchestra in the world premiere on September 6, 2007, at the Saito Kinen Festival
Saito Kinen Festival Matsumoto
Saito Kinen Festival Matsumoto is an annual classical music festival held in August and September in the Japanese Alps near Matsumoto. Founded in 1992 by music director Seiji Ozawa, the festival's resident orchestra is the renowned Saito Kinen Orchestra....
in Matsumoto City, Japan (May 2007, 1). Fleming gave the American premiere with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by James Levine
James Levine
James Lawrence Levine is an American conductor and pianist. He is currently the music director of the Metropolitan Opera and former music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Levine's first performance conducting the Metropolitan Opera was on June 5, 1971, and as of May 2011 he has...
, on November 29, 2007, and the same performers gave the New York premiere on 3 December 2007, in the Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
(Driscoll 2008).
The première of the complete work with an added interlude and a fourth poem took place on 7 May 2009 at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées
Théâtre des Champs-Élysées
The Théâtre des Champs-Élysées is a theatre at 15 avenue Montaigne. Despite its name, the theatre is not on the Champs-Élysées but nearby in another part of the 8th arrondissement of Paris....
, Paris. The performers included Renée Fleming
Renée Fleming
Renée Fleming is an American soprano specializing in opera and lieder. Fleming has a full lyric soprano voice.Fleming has performed coloratura, lyric, and lighter spinto soprano repertoires. She has sung roles in Italian, German, French, Czech, and Russian, aside from her native English. She also...
(soprano), the Orchestre National de Radio France
Orchestre National de France
The Orchestre national de France is a symphony orchestra run by Radio France. It has also been known as the Orchestre national de la Radiodiffusion française and Orchestre national de l'Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision Française .Since 1944, the orchestra has been based in the Théâtre...
and Seiji Ozawa
Seiji Ozawa
is a Japanese conductor, particularly noted for his interpretations of large-scale late Romantic works. He is most known for his work as music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and principal conductor of the Vienna State Opera.-Early years:...
(conductor) (Machart 2009).