Composer

:

Maurice Ravel

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Song Cycle

Compose Date

:

1913

Average_duration

:

12:01

Movement_count

:

3

Movement ....

Maurice Ravel's 'Trois poèmes de Stéphane Mallarmé' is a song cycle composed in 1913. The premiere of the work took place on May 17, 1914, in Paris, with the composer himself at the piano and Jeanne Hatto as the vocalist. The cycle consists of three movements, each based on a poem by the French symbolist poet Stéphane Mallarmé. The first movement, 'Soupir,' is a delicate and ethereal piece that captures the essence of Mallarmé's poem. The music is characterized by its use of impressionistic harmonies and subtle shifts in tonality. The vocal line is lyrical and expressive, with the singer often using a half-whispered tone to convey the poem's sense of longing and desire. The second movement, 'Placet futile,' is a more playful and whimsical piece that contrasts with the first movement's introspective mood. The music is characterized by its use of syncopated rhythms and jazzy harmonies, which give the piece a light and breezy feel. The vocal line is more declamatory in this movement, with the singer using a more assertive tone to convey the poem's sense of irony and satire. The final movement, 'Éventail,' is a haunting and atmospheric piece that captures the sense of mystery and ambiguity that is characteristic of Mallarmé's poetry. The music is characterized by its use of chromatic harmonies and shifting tonal centers, which create a sense of unease and tension. The vocal line is more fragmented in this movement, with the singer using a more fragmented and disjointed phrasing to convey the poem's sense of fragmentation and dislocation. Overall, 'Trois poèmes de Stéphane Mallarmé' is a masterful example of Ravel's ability to capture the essence of a text through his music. The cycle is characterized by its use of impressionistic harmonies, subtle shifts in tonality, and expressive vocal lines, which combine to create a powerful and evocative musical experience.

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