Mélodie
Encyclopedia
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.
gives perhaps the most concise comparison of the two in his The Interpretation of French Song, in part quoting Debussy:
Proper performance of mélodies tends to require far less in the way of extreme emotion and blatant "acting" than many Lieder. Again quoting Bernac, "the art of the greatest French composers is an art of suggestion" rather than explicit statement of feelings.
The mélodie is also particularly noted for its deliberate and close relationship between text and melody. To compose or interpret mélodies, one must have a sensitive knowledge of the French language, French poetry, and French poetic diction. Because of this numerous books have been written about the details of French pronunciation specifically for mélodie singers, often featuring IPA
transcriptions of songs with further notations for French-specific features like liaison
and elision
.
. These songs, while apparently quite similar to the mélodie, were then as now viewed as being of a lighter and less specific nature. The text of a mélodie was more likely to be taken from contemporary, serious poetry and the music was also generally of a more profound sort. Further, while most composers in this genre were Romantics
, at least in chronology, certain features of mélodies have led many to view them as not properly Romantic.
Perhaps the first mélodies were those of Hector Berlioz
; he was certainly the first to use the term to describe his own compositions, and his song cycle Les nuits d'été
(1841) is still considered an example of the genre. Whatever Berlioz' chronological precedence, Charles Gounod
is often viewed as the first distinct composer of mélodies: his compositional style evolves imperceptibly and illustratively from romance to mélodie. He wrote over 200, on texts by such poets as Hugo
and Lamartine
. His setting of Lord Byron's Maid of Athens, in English, is a perfect example of a romance that has become a mélodie.
Though numerous other composers, such as Massenet, wrote mélodies during Gounod's lifetime, a name that cannot be omitted is that of Gabriel Fauré
. He wrote over 100 mélodies and has been called the French Schumann
, though their styles and essential temperaments were very different. Fauré is best remembered for his settings of the poetry of Verlaine
; these included Clair de lune
and the song cycles Cinq mélodies "de Venise"
and La bonne chanson
.
A contemporary of Fauré whose name has become practically synonymous with the mélodie, even though he left only a handful of them, is Henri Duparc.
Claude Debussy
and Maurice Ravel
are today best known to the public at large for their instrumental compositions. Despite this, they both wrote dozens of mélodies that are still closely studied and often performed. Debussy is noted for a particular gift for marrying text and music, while Ravel based a number of his on folk song, in direct contradiction to the common practice for mélodies, transfiguring both forms.
Contemporaries of Ravel who were noted mélodie composers include Albert Roussel
, Reynaldo Hahn
and André Caplet
. Though more famous as a composer for the organ, Louis Vierne
wrote several collections of mélodies with texts from Baudelaire, Verlaine, and others.
Mélodies continue to be composed today, though perhaps the last uncontestedly great composer of them was Francis Poulenc
, who died in 1963. He wrote nearly 150 mélodies of all sorts.
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...
art songs of the mid-19th century to the present; it is the French equivalent of the German
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...
Lied
Lied
is a German word literally meaning "song", usually used to describe romantic songs setting German poems of reasonably high literary aspirations, especially during the nineteenth century, beginning with Carl Loewe, Heinrich Marschner, and Franz Schubert and culminating with Hugo Wolf...
. It is distinguished from a chanson
Chanson
A chanson is in general any lyric-driven French song, usually polyphonic and secular. A singer specialising in chansons is known as a "chanteur" or "chanteuse" ; a collection of chansons, especially from the late Middle Ages and Renaissance, is also known as a chansonnier.-Chanson de geste:The...
, which is a folk or popular song.
Nature of the mélodie
The mélodie is often defined by comparison to the Lied. Pierre BernacPierre Bernac
Pierre Bernac was a French baritone.Born Pierre Bertin in Paris on January 12, 1899, he studied with Reinhold von Wahrlich in Salzburg. he came to music relatively late and gave his first recital in 1921....
gives perhaps the most concise comparison of the two in his The Interpretation of French Song, in part quoting Debussy:
Debussy goes on to write that 'clarity of expression, precision and concentration of form are qualities peculiar to the French genius.' These qualities are indeed most noticeable when again compared with the German genius, excelling as it does in long, uninhibited outpourings, directly opposed to the French taste, which abhors overstatement and venerates concision and diversity.
Proper performance of mélodies tends to require far less in the way of extreme emotion and blatant "acting" than many Lieder. Again quoting Bernac, "the art of the greatest French composers is an art of suggestion" rather than explicit statement of feelings.
The mélodie is also particularly noted for its deliberate and close relationship between text and melody. To compose or interpret mélodies, one must have a sensitive knowledge of the French language, French poetry, and French poetic diction. Because of this numerous books have been written about the details of French pronunciation specifically for mélodie singers, often featuring IPA
International Phonetic Alphabet
The International Phonetic Alphabet "The acronym 'IPA' strictly refers [...] to the 'International Phonetic Association'. But it is now such a common practice to use the acronym also to refer to the alphabet itself that resistance seems pedantic...
transcriptions of songs with further notations for French-specific features like liaison
Liaison (linguistics)
Liaison is the pronunciation of a latent word-final consonant immediately before a following vowel sound. In French, most written word-final consonants are no longer pronounced and are known as latent or mute...
and elision
Elision
Elision is the omission of one or more sounds in a word or phrase, producing a result that is easier for the speaker to pronounce...
.
History
The mélodie arose just before the middle of the 19th century in France. Though the Lied had reached its peak in the early 19th century, the mélodie developed quite independently of that tradition. Instead, it grew fairly directly from the earlier genre of French songs known as the romanceRomantic music
Romantic music or music in the Romantic Period is a musicological and artistic term referring to a particular period, theory, compositional practice, and canon in Western music history, from 1810 to 1900....
. These songs, while apparently quite similar to the mélodie, were then as now viewed as being of a lighter and less specific nature. The text of a mélodie was more likely to be taken from contemporary, serious poetry and the music was also generally of a more profound sort. Further, while most composers in this genre were Romantics
Romanticism
Romanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
, at least in chronology, certain features of mélodies have led many to view them as not properly Romantic.
Perhaps the first mélodies were those of Hector Berlioz
Hector Berlioz
Hector Berlioz was a French Romantic composer, best known for his compositions Symphonie fantastique and Grande messe des morts . Berlioz made significant contributions to the modern orchestra with his Treatise on Instrumentation. He specified huge orchestral forces for some of his works; as a...
; he was certainly the first to use the term to describe his own compositions, and his song cycle Les nuits d'été
Les nuits d'été
Les nuits d'été , Op. 7, is a song cycle by the French composer Hector Berlioz. It is a setting of six poems by Théophile Gautier. The collection was completed in 1841, and initially composed for either baritone, contralto, or mezzo-soprano, and piano...
(1841) is still considered an example of the genre. Whatever Berlioz' chronological precedence, Charles Gounod
Charles Gounod
Charles-François Gounod was a French composer, known for his Ave Maria as well as his operas Faust and Roméo et Juliette.-Biography:...
is often viewed as the first distinct composer of mélodies: his compositional style evolves imperceptibly and illustratively from romance to mélodie. He wrote over 200, on texts by such poets as Hugo
Victor Hugo
Victor-Marie Hugo was a Frenchpoet, playwright, novelist, essayist, visual artist, statesman, human rights activist and exponent of the Romantic movement in France....
and Lamartine
Alphonse de Lamartine
Alphonse Marie Louis de Prat de Lamartine was a French writer, poet and politician who was instrumental in the foundation of the Second Republic.-Career:...
. His setting of Lord Byron's Maid of Athens, in English, is a perfect example of a romance that has become a mélodie.
Though numerous other composers, such as Massenet, wrote mélodies during Gounod's lifetime, a name that cannot be omitted is that of 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...
. He wrote over 100 mélodies and has been called the French Schumann
Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann, sometimes known as Robert Alexander Schumann, was a German composer, aesthete and influential music critic. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most representative composers of the Romantic era....
, though their styles and essential temperaments were very different. Fauré is best remembered for his settings of the poetry of Verlaine
Paul Verlaine
Paul-Marie Verlaine was a French poet associated with the Symbolist movement. He is considered one of the greatest representatives of the fin de siècle in international and French poetry.-Early life:...
; these included Clair de lune
Clair de lune (Fauré)
"Clair de lune", Op. 46 No 2, is a song by Gabriel Fauré, composed in 1887 to words by Paul Verlaine. The pianist Graham Johnson writes that it closes Fauré's second period and opens the doors into his third. Johnson notes that it is "for many people the quintessential French mélodie".The lyric is...
and the song cycles Cinq mélodies "de Venise"
Cinq mélodies "de Venise"
Cinq mélodies "de Venise", Op. 58, is a song cycle by Gabriel Fauré, of five mélodies for voice and piano. Composed in 1891, the cycle is based on five poems by Paul Verlaine, from the collections Fêtes galantes and Romances sans paroles. According to Fauré himself, the song cycle contains a...
and La bonne chanson
La bonne chanson (Fauré)
La bonne chanson, Op. 61, by Gabriel Fauré, is a song cycle of nine mélodies for voice and piano. He composed it during 1892–94; in 1898 he created a version for voice, piano and string quintet. The cycle is based on nine of the poems from the collection of the same name by Paul Verlaine...
.
A contemporary of Fauré whose name has become practically synonymous with the mélodie, even though he left only a handful of them, is Henri Duparc.
Claude Debussy
Claude Debussy
Claude-Achille Debussy was a French composer. Along with Maurice Ravel, he was one of the most prominent figures working within the field of impressionist music, though he himself intensely disliked the term when applied to his compositions...
and Maurice Ravel
Maurice Ravel
Joseph-Maurice Ravel was a French composer known especially for his melodies, orchestral and instrumental textures and effects...
are today best known to the public at large for their instrumental compositions. Despite this, they both wrote dozens of mélodies that are still closely studied and often performed. Debussy is noted for a particular gift for marrying text and music, while Ravel based a number of his on folk song, in direct contradiction to the common practice for mélodies, transfiguring both forms.
Contemporaries of Ravel who were noted mélodie composers include Albert Roussel
Albert Roussel
Albert Charles Paul Marie Roussel was a French composer. He spent seven years as a midshipman, turned to music as an adult, and became one of the most prominent French composers of the interwar period...
, Reynaldo Hahn
Reynaldo Hahn
Reynaldo Hahn was a Venezuelan, naturalised French, composer, conductor, music critic and diarist. Best known as a composer of songs, he wrote in the French classical tradition of the mélodie....
and André Caplet
André Caplet
André Caplet was a French composer and conductor now known primarily through his orchestrations of works by Claude Debussy.-Biography:...
. Though more famous as a composer for the organ, Louis Vierne
Louis Vierne
Louis Victor Jules Vierne was a French organist and composer.-Life:Louis Vierne was born in Poitiers, Vienne, nearly blind due to congenital cataracts, but at an early age was discovered to have an unusual gift for music. Louis Victor Jules Vierne (8 October 1870 – 2 June 1937) was a French...
wrote several collections of mélodies with texts from Baudelaire, Verlaine, and others.
Mélodies continue to be composed today, though perhaps the last uncontestedly great composer of them was Francis Poulenc
Francis Poulenc
Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc was a French composer and a member of the French group Les six. He composed solo piano music, chamber music, oratorio, choral music, opera, ballet music, and orchestral music...
, who died in 1963. He wrote nearly 150 mélodies of all sorts.