Composer

:

Maurice Ravel

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Song: Art Song

Compose Date

:

1895

Average_duration

:

3:42

"Un grand sommeil noir" is a song composed by Maurice Ravel in 1906. It was premiered on May 5, 1906, at the Société Nationale de Musique in Paris, with the famous French soprano Jane Bathori as the soloist. The song is based on a poem by Paul Verlaine, which describes a dream in which the narrator sees his lover lying dead in a coffin. The dream is so vivid that the narrator feels as if he is the one who is dead, and he longs to join his lover in the "great black sleep" of death. The song is written for solo voice and piano, and it is divided into two distinct sections. The first section is slow and mournful, with a simple, repetitive melody that evokes the somber mood of the poem. The piano accompaniment is sparse and understated, with long, sustained chords that create a sense of emptiness and loss. The second section is faster and more agitated, with a more complex melody that reflects the narrator's growing sense of desperation and longing. The piano accompaniment becomes more active and dissonant, with jagged rhythms and unexpected harmonies that suggest the narrator's confusion and despair. Overall, "Un grand sommeil noir" is a haunting and evocative song that captures the mood and imagery of Verlaine's poem. Ravel's music is spare and understated, but it is also deeply expressive, conveying the complex emotions of the narrator with subtlety and nuance. The song is a testament to Ravel's skill as a composer, and it remains a beloved and frequently performed work in the classical repertoire.

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