Composer

:

Frank Martin

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Song

Compose Date

:

1969 - 1971

First Performance

:

Dec 12, 1971

Average_duration

:

15:22

Poèmes de la mort is a song cycle composed by Swiss composer Frank Martin in 1969. The work is based on poems by French poet François Villon, who lived in the 15th century. The premiere of the work was given in Zurich on May 7, 1969, with the composer himself conducting. The cycle consists of six movements, each of which is a setting of a different Villon poem. The first movement, "Ballade pour prier Notre-Dame," is a prayer to the Virgin Mary for protection from death. The second movement, "La Belle Heaulmière," tells the story of a beautiful woman who is eventually executed for her crimes. The third movement, "La Mort d'Arthur," is a lament for the death of King Arthur. The fourth movement, "Le Grand Testament," is a reflection on the transience of life and the inevitability of death. The fifth movement, "Ballade des pendus," is a haunting depiction of the hanging of criminals. The final movement, "Epitaphe," is a meditation on the finality of death. The music of Poèmes de la mort is characterized by its spare, austere quality. Martin's use of dissonance and unconventional harmonies creates a sense of unease and tension throughout the work. The vocal writing is often declamatory, with the singer delivering the text in a rhythmic, speech-like manner. The piano accompaniment is similarly spare, with sparse chords and angular melodies. Overall, Poèmes de la mort is a powerful and moving work that explores the themes of death and mortality with great depth and sensitivity. Martin's music captures the bleakness and despair of Villon's poetry, while also offering moments of beauty and transcendence.

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