Composer

:

Maurice Delage

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Vocal Music

Compose Date

:

1931

Average_duration

:

6:23

Movement_count

:

2

Movement ....

Maurice Delage's 'Fables (2) de La Fontaine' is a two-movement work for voice and piano, composed in 1913. The piece is based on two fables by the French poet Jean de La Fontaine: "Le Corbeau et le Renard" (The Crow and the Fox) and "Le Loup et l'Agneau" (The Wolf and the Lamb). The first movement, "Le Corbeau et le Renard," is a setting of La Fontaine's famous fable about a crow who is flattered by a fox into dropping a piece of cheese. Delage's music captures the playful and mischievous nature of the fable, with the piano providing a lively accompaniment to the singer's vocal line. The piece is marked by sudden shifts in tempo and dynamics, reflecting the unpredictable nature of the story. The second movement, "Le Loup et l'Agneau," is a more somber setting of La Fontaine's fable about a wolf who accuses a lamb of disturbing the water in a stream. The music is more contemplative and introspective, with the piano providing a gentle, flowing accompaniment to the singer's mournful melody. The piece is marked by a sense of inevitability, as the lamb is ultimately doomed to be devoured by the wolf. Overall, Delage's 'Fables (2) de La Fontaine' is a charming and inventive musical interpretation of two classic fables. The composer's use of sudden shifts in tempo and dynamics, as well as his ability to capture the mood and character of each fable, make this a memorable and engaging work. The piece premiered in Paris in 1913 and has since become a staple of the vocal repertoire.

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