Composer

:

Albert Roussel

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Song

Compose Date

:

1918

Average_duration

:

6:12

Movement_count

:

2

Movement ....

Albert Roussel's 'Mélodies (2), Op. 19' is a set of two songs composed for voice and piano. The work was composed in 1910 and premiered in Paris in the same year. The two movements of the work are titled 'Le bachelier de Salamanque' and 'Le jardin mouillé'. The first movement, 'Le bachelier de Salamanque', is a setting of a poem by Théophile Gautier. The poem tells the story of a young student who falls in love with a beautiful woman, only to discover that she is a ghost. Roussel's music captures the eerie and mysterious atmosphere of the poem, with its haunting harmonies and shifting tonalities. The vocal line is lyrical and expressive, with long phrases and subtle changes in dynamics. The second movement, 'Le jardin mouillé', is a setting of a poem by Paul Verlaine. The poem describes a garden after a rainstorm, with the flowers and trees glistening in the sunlight. Roussel's music is impressionistic in style, with shimmering piano textures and a fluid vocal line that evokes the beauty and tranquility of the garden. The harmonies are rich and colorful, with unexpected modulations and chromaticism. Overall, 'Mélodies (2), Op. 19' is a fine example of Roussel's skill as a composer of vocal music. The songs are beautifully crafted, with a keen sensitivity to the texts and a mastery of musical form and expression. They showcase Roussel's unique style, which blends elements of impressionism, modernism, and classicism into a distinctive and highly personal voice.

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