Mirages, Op. 113, 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 four 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...

. Composed in 1919, the cycle is based on four of the poems from the collection of the same name by Renée de Brimont.

Composition

The song cycle was composed in July and August 1919 while staying at Annecy-le-Vieux

Annecy-le-Vieux

Annecy-le-Vieux is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in southeastern France.It is the fourth-largest town in Haute-Savoie in terms of population, and is located on the northeastern shore of Lake Annecy...

, at the invitation of Fernand Maillot and his wife Louise. Fauré also started the Piano Quintet

Piano quintet

In European classical music, a piano quintet is a work of chamber music written for piano and four other instruments, most commonly piano, two violins, viola, and cello . Among the most frequently performed piano quintets are those by Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms, César Franck, Antonín Dvořák...

 No. 2 during this stay. It was the first of several summers that he spent composing there.

Fauré's interest in de Brimont's poetry was first stimulated by Gabriel Hanotaux

Gabriel Hanotaux

Albert Auguste Gabriel Hanotaux, known as Gabriel Hanotaux was a French statesman and historian.-Biography:...

, to whose wife the song cycle was dedicated. It was published by Durand in 1919.

Settings

Fauré's settings from the two parts of de Brimont's collection are as follows:

1. "Cygne sur l'eau" (from De l'eau et des paysages)
2. "Reflets dans l'eau" (from De l'eau et des paysages)
3. "Jardin nocturne" (from De l'eau et des paysages)
4. "Danseuse" (from Des songes et des paroles)

Premiere

Mirages 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 Société Nationale de Musique

Société Nationale de Musique

The Société Nationale de Musique was founded on February 25, 1871 to promote French music and to allow young composers to present their music in public...

 on 27 December 1919, sung by Madeleine Grey

Madeleine Grey

Madeleine Grey was a French classical singer whose voice is usually described as soprano but which also encompassed a mezzo-soprano repertoire.-Early life:...

. Fauré was the pianist for the premiere, as he usually was for his songs. However by this time 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...

was total, and this was the last time he played at an event of the Société.

External links

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