Le jardin clos

Le jardin clos, Op. 106, is a song cycle by Gabriel Fauré, of eight mélodies for voice and piano. It is based on eight poems from the collection Entrevisions by Charles van Lerberghe.[1] Fauré composed the cycle in 1914, starting it in Germany and continuing in Switzerland and France after he fled Germany on the outbreak of World War I.[2]

Le jardin clos
Song cycle by Gabriel Fauré
The composer in 1907
CatalogueOp. 106
TextPoems from Entrevisions by Charles van Lerberghe
LanguageFrench
Composed1914 (1914)
Performed28 January 1915 (1915-01-28)
Published1915 (1915)
Movementseight
Scoringvoice and piano

Composition

The song cycle was composed over the period July to November 1914.[1] Fauré wrote the first song, "Exaucement", during his stay of 21–30 July at Bad Ems,[3] where he hoped to improve his health, particularly his hearing impairment.[4] Then, with war breaking out, he made his way from Germany back to France via Switzerland, travelling via Saint-Louis, Basel and Geneva.[2] Fauré continued to compose the cycle at Geneva and Paris,[5] and also at Pau, which he visited in October.[3]

Settings

Fauré's settings are as follows:[1]

  1. "Exaucement"
  2. "Quand tu plonges tes yeux dans mes yeux"
  3. "La messagère"
  4. "Je me poserai sur ton cœur"
  5. "Dans la nymphée"
  6. "Dans la pénombre"
  7. "Il m'est cher, amour, le bandeau"
  8. "Inscription sur le sable"

Premiere

Le jardin clos had its premiere at the Concerts Casella on 28 January 1915, sung by Claire Croiza. The pianist was Fauré.[6]

The song cycle was published by Durand in May 1915.[7] Fauré gave the songs individual dedications; "Dans la nymphée" was dedicated to Croiza.[1]

References
  1. Orledge (1979), pp. 312–313
  2. Orledge (1979), p. 26
  3. Nectoux (2004), p. 520
  4. Orledge (1979), p. 25
  5. Orledge (1979), p. 141
  6. Nectoux (2004), p. 555
  7. Johnson (2009), p. xxvii

Sources
  • Johnson, Graham (2009). Gabriel Fauré: The Songs and their Poets. London: Guildhall School of Music and Drama. ISBN 978-0-7546-5960-0.
  • Nectoux, Jean-Michel (2004). Gabriel Fauré: A Musical Life. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-61695-6.
  • Orledge, Robert (1979). Gabriel Fauré. London: Eulenburg Books. ISBN 0-903873-40-0.
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