Le jardin clos, Op. 106, is a song cycle

Song cycle

A song cycle is a group of songs designed to be performed in a sequence as a single entity. As a rule, all of the songs are by the same composer and often use words from the same poet or lyricist. Unification can be achieved by a narrative or a persona common to the songs, or even, as in Schumann's...

 by Gabriel Fauré

Gabriel Fauré

Gabriel Urbain Fauré was a French composer, organist, pianist and teacher. He was one of the foremost French composers of his generation, and his musical style influenced many 20th century composers...

, of eight mélodie

Mélodie

Mélodie refers to French art songs of the mid-19th century to the present; it is the French equivalent of the German Lied. It is distinguished from a chanson, which is a folk or popular song.-Nature of the mélodie:...

s for voice and piano

Piano

The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...

. It is based on eight poems from the collection Entrevisions by Charles van Lerberghe

Charles van Lerberghe

Charles van Lerberghe was a Flemish symbolist poet writing in French.His poetry was set by Gabriel Fauré in the song cycles La chanson d'Ève and Le jardin clos....

. Fauré composed the cycle in 1914, starting it in Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 and continuing in Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

 and France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 after he fled Germany on the outbreak of World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

.

Composition

The song cycle was composed over the period July to November 1914. Fauré wrote the first song, "Exaucement", during his stay of 21–30 July at Bad Ems

Bad Ems

Bad Ems is a town in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the county seat of the Rhein-Lahn rural district and is well known as a bathing resort on the river Lahn...

, where he hoped to improve his health, particularly his hearing impairment

Hearing impairment

-Definition:Deafness is the inability for the ear to interpret certain or all frequencies of sound.-Environmental Situations:Deafness can be caused by environmental situations such as noise, trauma, or other ear defections...

. Then, with war breaking out, he made his way from Germany back to France via Switzerland, travelling via Saint-Louis

Saint-Louis, Haut-Rhin

Saint-Louis is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.The inhabitants are called Ludoviciens.-Geography:...

, Basel

Basel

Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...

 and Geneva

Geneva

Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...

. Fauré continued to compose the cycle at Geneva and Paris

Paris

Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

, and also at Pau, which he visited in October.

Settings

Fauré's settings are as follows:

1. "Exaucement"
2. "Quand tu plonges tes yeux dans mes yeux"
3. "La messagère"
4. "Je me poserai sur ton couer"
5. "Dans la nymphée"
6. "Dans la pénombre"
7. "Il m'est cher, amour, le bandeau"
8. "Inscription sur le sable"

Premiere

Le jardin clos had its premiere

Premiere

A premiere is generally "a first performance". This can refer to plays, films, television programs, operas, symphonies, ballets and so on. Premieres for theatrical, musical and other cultural presentations can become extravagant affairs, attracting large numbers of socialites and much media...

 at the Concerts Casella on 28 January 1915, sung by Claire Croiza

Claire Croiza

Claire Croiza was a French mezzo-soprano and an influential teacher of singers.-Career:Claire Croiza was born in Paris, the daughter of an expatriate American father and an Italian mother, and as a child she excelled at piano and singing...

. The pianist was Fauré.

The song cycle was published by Durand in May 1915. Fauré gave the songs individual dedications; "Dans la nymphée" was dedicated to Croiza.

External links

• French texts and English translations, at The Lied, Art Song, and Choral Texts Page