COMPOSITIONAL STYLE IN THE SONG CYCLES OF JULES MASSENET by HEATHER J. HOLMQUEST A THESIS Presented to the School of Music and Dance and the Graduate School of the University of Oregon in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master ofArts September 2009 "Compositional Style in the Song Cycles ofJules Massenet," a thesis prepared by Heather J. Holmquest in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master ofArts degree in the School of Music and Dance. This thesis has been approved and accepted by: Dr. Stephen ROdgers, Chair of the Examination Committee IDate Committee in charge: Accepted by: Dr. Stephen Rodgers, chair Dr. Jack Boss Prof. Laura Wayte Dean of the Graduate School © 2009 Heather 1. Holmquest An Abstract of the Thesis of Heather J. Holmquest in the School of Music and Dance for the degree of to be taken Master ofArts September 2009 Title: COMPOSITIONAL STYLE IN THE SONG CYCLES OF JULES MASSENET Approved: Df. Stephen Rodgers As a prolific song composer whose works span the development ofthe French song cycle, Massenet is worthy of close examination. To date, analyses of his songs have included a cursory glance by Frits Noske and a review of thematic relationships by Mario Champagne. These analyses leave many of Massenet's compositions untouched and exclude many musical features of merit. This thesis offers a thorough evaluation ofMassenet's songs with the aim of tracing the development of his style as an outgrowth of German influence. I focus on three works from the beginning, middle, and end ofMassenet's career--Poeme d'avril, Poeme d'amour, and Expressions lyriques--that show the pmgression ofMassenet's style and establish his place as a bridge between the great lieder composers ofthe early nineteenth century and the great melodie composers of the early twentieth century. vCURRICULUM VITAE NAME OF AUTHOR: Heather J. Holmquest PLACE OF BIRTH: Melrose Park, IL DATE OF BIRTH: January 30, 1983 GRADUATE AND Ul\TDERGRADUATE SCHOOLS ATTENDED: University of Oregon, Eugene Knox College, Galesburg, IL DEGREES AWARDED: Master ofArts, Music Theory, 2009, University of Oregon Bachelor ofArts in Music, 2005, Knox College AREAS OF SPECIAL INTEREST: Music theory Music theory pedagogy Solo vocal literature Historical performance practice (voice) PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: Voice teacher, Self-Employed, 2003-2005 Teaching assistant, Department of Music, Knox College, 2004-2006 Voice teacher, Department of Music, Knox College, 2005-2006 Teaching assistant, School of Music and Dance, 2006-2009 VI ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to express my thanks to Dr. Stephen Rodgers for his infinite amount ofpatience, wisdom, and support in the preparation of this thesis. I also thank Dr. Jack Boss and Prof. Laura Wayte for their thoughtful advice and suggestions, as well as Dr. Steve Larson. I wish to thank Marie-Helene Verroneau for her expert help in editing my translations of French Symbolist poetry. Thanks to David Heyer, Jeff Lovell, Megan Elliott, Ruth Hoffman, and Josh Evans for their moral support. Finally, special thanks go to my dear mentor at Knox College, Dr. Laura Lane, for her encouragement and friendship. Vll This thesis is dedicated to my father, who taught me how to count, and my mother, who taught me that love is all you need. Vlll TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. INTRODUCTION 1 The Relationship Between the Romance and the Lied 2 Geflllan Song Cycles 6 French Song Cycles 8 Massenet and the Song Cycle 8 II. POEME D'AVRIL.......................................................................................... 10 Thematic Relationships.................................................................................. 13 Accompaniment and Phrasing 21 Text Setting and Storyline.............................................................................. 26 III. POEME D'AMOUR 34 Thematic Relationships.................................................................................. 36 Harmony 43 Melody and Accompaniment 51 Text Setting 59 IV. EXPRESSIONS LYRIQUES......................................................................... 63 Emotional Meaning of Selected Keys 66 Haflllony 69 Text Painting in the Melody and Accompaniment. 79 v. CONCLUSION.............................................................................................. 90 Chapter APPENDICES IX Page A. POEME D'AVRIL TEXTS AND TRANSLATIONS 92 B. POEME D'AMOUR TEXTS AND TRANSLATIONS 97 C. EXPRESSIONS LYRIQUES TEXTS AND TRANSLATIONS 100 REFERENCES 109 xLIST OF EXAMPLES Example Page 2.1. "Prelude," mm. 1-2; Theme A 14 2.2. "Prelude," mm. 3-6; Theme B 14 2.3. "Prelude," mm. 7-9; Theme C 14 2.4. "Seit ich ibn gesehen," mm. 1-7............................. 15 2.5. "Nun hast du mir den ersten Schmerz getan," mm. 23-32........................... 16 2.6. "le pars! Adieu, rna chere arne," mm. 1-5.................................................... 17 2.7. "Sur la source," mm. 1-5 18 2.8. "Sonnet matinal, mm. 1-9 20 2.9. "Voici que les grands lys," mm. 16-21 21 2.10. "Voici que les grands lys," mm. 1-3............................................................. 23 2.11. "Sonnet matinal," mm. 10-24....................................................................... 24 2.12. "Sonnet matinal," mm. 32-34....................................................................... 25 2.13. "Voici que les grands lys," mm. 25-28 25 2.14. "Voici que les grands lys," mm. 34-36......................................................... 26 2.15. "Sonnet matinal," mm. 45-62....................................................................... 29 2.16. "Que l'heure est donc breve," mm. 1-3......................................................... 30 2.17. "Que l'heure est donc breve," mm. 11-14..................................................... 31 2.18. "Sur la source," mm. 34-39 32 3.1. "le me suis plaint," mm. 1-8......................................................................... 39 3.2. "La nuit, sans doute," mm. 1-5..................................................................... 40 3.3. "La nuit, sans doute," mm. 12-17................................................................. 41 3.4. "La nuit, sans doute," mm. 22-25................................................................. 42 3.5. "Puisqu'elle a pris rna vie," mm. 13-15........................................................ 42 3.6. "La nuit, sans doute," mm. 6-11 45 Xl Example Page 3.7. "Ouvre tes yeux b1eus," mm. 6-11................................ 46 3.8. "Ouvre tes yeux b1eus," mm. 16-20............................................................. 47 3.9. "Puisqu'elle a pris rna vie," mm. 31-38........................................................ 49 3.1 O. "Pourquoi p1eures-tu?.. ," mm. 41-48............................................................ 50 3.11. "Ouvre tes yeux b1eus," mm. 1-5 53 3.12. "Ouvre tes yeux b1eus," mm. 21-25 54 3.13. "Ouvre tes yeux b1eus," mm. 34-38 55 3.14. "Puisqu'elle a pris rna vie," mm. 6-9............................................................ 56 3.15. "Puisqu'elle apris rna vie," mm. 10-13 56 3.16. "Puisqu'elle a pris rna vie," mm. 16-24........................................................ 58 3.17. "Pourquoip1eures-tu?..,"m.16-18 59 3.18. "le me suis plaint," mm. 21-26..................................................................... 60 4.1. "Dialogue," mm. 25-28 67 4.2. "Comme autrefois," mm. 7-10 68 4.3. "Me1anco1ie," mm. 6-12............................................................................... 69 4.4. "Dialogue," mm. 1-8 71 4.5. "Dialogue," mm. 13-16 71 4.6. "Les nuages," mm. 1-6 72 4.7. "Les nuages," mm. 15-20............................................................................. 73 4.8. "Battement d'ai1es," mm. 1-8........................................................................ 74 4.9. "Battement d'ai1es," mm. 22-25.................................................................... 75 4.10. "Comme autrefois," mm. 1-4....................................................................... 76 4.11. "Les nuages," mm. 41-43 77 4.12. "En voyage," mm. 33-36.............................................................................. 78 4.13. "La derniere 1ettre de Werther aCharlotte," mm. 47-49 78 4.14. "Les nuages," mm. 7-9................................................................................. 83 4.15. "Les nuages," mm. 24-29............................................................................. 84 4.16. "En voyage," mm. 1-2.................................................................................. 85 4.17. "Battements des ailes," mm. 30-32 85 4.18. "La derniere lettre de Werther aCharlotte," mm. 7-9 86 4.19. "La derniere lettre de Werther aCharlotte," mm. 29-30.............................. 87 4.20. "La derniere lettre de Werther aCharlotte," mm. 39-40 88 4.21. "La derniere lettre de Werther aCharlotte," mill. 1-3 88 Xlll LIST OF TABLES Table Page 2.1. Keys found in Poeme d'avril 19 3.1. Key areas in "le me suis plaint." 44 4.1. Songs in Expressions lyriques, the poets, keys, and brief synopsis.............. 64 XIV LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 3.1. Key Relationships in Poeme d'amour........................................................... 37 3.2. Falling Fifths in the Key Scheme of Poeme d'amour................................... 37 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION The songs composed by Jules Massenet provide a wealth of information on the development of French song during the nineteenth century. Despite an increase of scholarship focused on French song in recent years, analysis of Massenet's works is scarce at best. Massenet wrote over 260 songs dating from 1863 to his death in 1912. He was a prolific, yet precise composer who is valued both for his craft and his inspiration throughout his career (Macdonald, "Massenet's Craftsmanship" 100). Because Massenet produced an extensive yet valuable output of songs throughout his career, he offers a comprehensive example of the evolution of the melodie in late nineteenth century France. The overall goal for this study is to further our understanding of French song composition during the late nineteenth century. More specifically, the analyses given here contribute a more in-depth understanding of Massenet's style. Also, analysis of his works allows us to trace the growth of the melodie from its ancestors, the French romance and the German Lied, into its own independent genre. I chose to focus on Massenet's song cycles, or Poemes, because they allow for discussion on the relationships between his cycles and the Lieder cycles of Schubert and Schumann. Massenet was clearly influenced by German composition. In 1903, George Ferris mentioned Massenet's relationship with German Lieder thusly: 2 Like Saint-saens and Bizet, he has a deep sympathy with the works of German music and has made a profound study of them, and this influence is seen everywhere in his methods and the art mechanism by which he produces his effects; but his talent shines clear through all and stamps its individuality on his work (G. Ferris 301). This study strengthens and elaborates the link between the introduction of German Lieder to France and the beautiful melodies of early twentieth century composers, such as Faure and Debussy, through the examination of Massenet's songs. Three larger works from Massenet's song repertoire are examined, taken from the beginning, middle, and end of his career: Poeme d'avril, Poeme d'amour, and Expressions lyriques, respectively. Each work has unique features that aid in showing the progression of Massenet's style. Poeme d'avril is credited with being the first widely known French song cycle, and demonstrates the early, very German-influenced treatment of harmony, form, cyclicity, imitation, and accompaniment style, with declamation of text that only slightly resembles the melodies of the next century. The musical features in Poeme d'amour, composed more than a decade later, exemplify Massenet's maturation as a composer while still exhibiting German ideas of unification and musicality. Poeme d'amour is more freely composed and balanced, showing Massenet's increased focus on text. Finally, Expressions lyriques is an experimental collection of songs that uses both spoken and sung verse to convey the meaning of each individual song. Expressions lyriques also exemplifies the later French style with more abstract, ambiguous harmonies and fluid melodies, as well as increased complexity and chromaticism. The Relationship Between the Romance and the Lied To properly understand the transformation of the romance into the melodie (that 3 Massenet's songs help to display), a brief history of the romance must be included.! The romance was an accompanied, strophic song that set French poetry that was set with simple, unaffected music with minimal embellishment. The romance was classified into different sub-gemes based on the scenes presented in the poetry (Tumey 59).2 The French hailed the romance as "that child of our soil," and the treatment of harmony, form, and text are features that are used to define the "French" style as it differs from the analogous German Lieder from the same time period (qtd. Tunley 58). In Mario Champagne's dissertation, The French Song Cycle (1840-1924); with special emphasis on the works of Gabriel Faure, he discusses the differences between "German" and "French" musical dialects, carefully stating that "these lists of labels and characteristics are a simplistic means of defining the differences between these two approaches to composition" (Champagne 5). Classifying styles into German and French types tend to generalize music to a useless degree; however, trying to describe the effects that German music had on the French romance help us to understand how the romance evolved into the melodie. He continues to outline the differences between French and German dialects, and summarizes thusly: The perceived differences between French and German musical dialects seem to reside in the nature of the approach to what music is or should be. Perhaps as a result of having a long-lived, stable civilization, the French prize elegance, nuance, the beautiful object, proportion, balance, a willingness to be patient and to assimilate subtlety. German musical culture has prized intellection (such as logic of a Bach fugue or of Schoenberg's dodecaphonic style), breaking the mould (such See Tunley, Salons, Singers, and Songs, Chapter 4, for lengthy discussion of the development of the romance. 2 Tunley states, "Those with their poetry evoking wild mountains were usually called tyrollienes. Rustic scenes were pastorales, water scenes were barcarolles. These categories automatically set off stereotyped musical responses." 4 as found in Beethoven), or sheer power (Wagner or Mahler come to mind) (Champagne pp. 5-6). As the nineteenth century progressed, these two styles intermingled in the compositions of Massenet, due to the introduction of the German style to his French ears (Massenet, "Mes Souvenirs" 14).3 In the early l830s, Adolphe Nourrit and Franz Liszt brought Schubert's Lieder, translated into French by unknown acquaintances ofNourrit's, to the salons and concert halls of Paris (Tooley 89). Within a few years, critics in Paris were either extremely enthusiastic about, or extremely fearful of, the effect it would have on French song composition (Tooley 97).4 No matter which of these positions was taken, it was indisputable that the German Lied was changing the style of French song. The introduction of these German works spurred the evolution of the romance into what is now known as the melodie, though the definition of romance and melodie varied from source to source during the nineteenth century. The first use of the term melodie is thought to be by the publisher of Berlioz's Neufmelodies, which set French translations of Thomas Moore's Irish Melodies. In this case, melodie was not referring to a new style of French song, but rather a direct translation from the English title. The style of Berlioz's 3 In his memoirs, Massenet recalls that, "During my enforced rustication I found, by sheer accident, some of Schumann's works which were then little known in France and still less in Piemont." Massenet was in his early teens. 4 Tunley quotes Ernest Legouve, who lauds the influx of Schubertian style: "The introduction into France of Schubert's melodies will kill the romance... We have had and still have some romanciers who lack neither grace nor charm... but all the compositions of these musicians is a sin in terms of form; their accompaniment is a series of non-arpeggiated chords, of little flat and insignificant drummings which do not combine at all with the melody; and their works are old after two or three years, because they have no artistry." 5 Neufmelodies is still rooted firmly in the romance tradition (Tunley 102).5 Publishers, critics, and composers began to refer to their compositions as melodies, or even Lieder, as the German style of harmony, accompaniment, and form was incorporated into French songs (Schwab 10). As the definition of melodie evolved, so did the songs that the term described. The influence of German Lieder extended to the geme ofthe song cycle. Popular both with Schubert and Schumann, the song cycle was a device used by these German composers to write a more in-depth, unified group of songs that extended the expression of a particular idea beyond the scope of a single song. Schubert wrote Die schone Mullerin and Die Winterreise, which are classic examples of the early German cycle. Les nuits d'ete, written by Berlioz in 1840, has features that are reminiscent of the song cycle geme, and Champagne devotes an entire chapter to argue for the cylicity of that work.6 Though it fulfills most of the qualifications of what a cycle is, it lacks the kind of "musical interconnections" that are found in the cycles of Schubert, Schumann, and as we will see, Massenet (Champagne 24). Schumann refined the song cyqle into a composition recognized today as the ancestor of the geme in France: Frauenliebe und -Leben (Champagne 44). These works, when brought to Paris and to the attention of French composers, incited the composition of the first true French song cycles. 5 Tunley states: "It may have been Berlioz's Neufmelodies (1830) ... that gave rise to the use of the word 'meIodie' when describing songs more musically sophisticated than the simple romance. Yet, as is often the case when new musical terminology appears, its usage was haphazard." 6 See Champagne, Chapter 3, for more information. 6 German Song Cycles To fully measure the extent to which Massenet's early compositions were modeled on the works of German composers, we must explore the cyclicity of Poeme d'avril and Poeme d'amour in addition to their harmonic, formal, and textual features. Also, to understand the impact of German Lieder, and specifically German song cycles, we must examine the research of German song cycles. Since Massenet's cycles are modeled after the cycles of Schumann, it is more advantageous to look at the body of work written on Schumann's cycles. Arthur Komar provided a much-needed foundation for song cycle research with his essay, "The Music of Dichterliebe: The Whole and its Parts." Written by Schumnann in 1840, Dichterliebe is a cycle that has puzzled song cycle scholars. Komar used Schenkerian analysis to relate the key areas of the songs and construct a large-scale Ursatz that encompasses the entire work. Though parts of his analysis seem slightly labored (at times, it seems Komar was trying to force the entirety of Dichterliebe into one Ursatz (Neumeyer 94», the analysis provides a starting point for the song cycle scholars that followed other paths to analyze this music. His most useful discussion is at the beginning of his essay, when he lays out "seven possible conclusions" that measure the extent to which Dichterliebe could be unified (Komar 63).7 Although scholars have since refined Komar's procedures in determining song unity, they are generally in agreement that his conclusions describe earlier song cycles of the nineteenth century (McCreless 9). 8 7 Komar provides these seven criteria in ascending order; the higher the number, the more coherent the cycle. 8 McCreless summarizes the seven criteria set forth by Komar in his article. He states: "Although Komar's list is intended only for Dichterliebe, and not for multi-movement works in general, it does, I 7 In a more recent approach to song cycle analysis, David Ferris regarded the fragmentation of Schumann's Liederkreis as the force that draws the listener from one song to the next, and questioned the validity of a definition of a song cycle that claims that each song must be performable as a single song without reliance on the other songs to be musically whole (D. Ferris 6).9 Ferris' argument is that it is not just an overarching coherence that unifies Schumann's song cycles, but also a building oftension created by incompleteness that leads the listener into desiring more of the story. Ferris also mentions that the song cycle in German composition became a "public" genre, and "as composers became less interested in the cycle, performers became more so" (D. Ferris 8). As performers became more interested, the publication of these German songs was increased, which accounts for French composers' exposure to them. This might explain why French song in the nineteenth century is not as thoroughly studied: by the time French composers were exploring the song cycle genre, the composition of song cycles (and similarly intimate settings) in Germany had fallen out of favor, leaving room for larger, more expansive works. believe, constitute a perceptive step in the study of inter-song relations in the song cycle; anyone who knows the Lied literature from the first half of the century will be able immediately to summon examples of each of Komar's criteria in cycles from the period." 9 Ferris summarizes; "The cycle is not generically opposed to the collection but is a particular kind of collection in itself, a collection that is composed of pieces whose forms tend to be fragmentary and whose meaning tends to be obscure. The cycle does not create an overarching unity that provides such pieces with completion and clarity but is itself discontinuous and open-ended. The context that the cycle· sets up is provocative; it implies structural connections and hints at larger meanings, but never makes them explicit or definitive." This concept refers to the works of Schumann. 8 French Song Cycles Despite the perceived lack of innovation of these early French song cycle composers (such as Massenet), scholars have often summarized their compositions as they led up to the works of Faure and Debussy. For example, Frits Noske devotes a section of his book, French Songfrom Berlioz to Duparc, to the songs of Massenet. In this section, he points out that "a body of works that was so fashionable during the life of its author must necessarily lose its luster today" (210). Noske points out that Massenet did not suffer a lack of innovation, but rather reused the same stylistic techniques throughout his career (215). These are harsh words that underlie Noske's intent was to contrast Massenet and earlier composers with the "great composers," Faure and Debussy. Part of the goal of this study is to find similarities between Massenet and these later composers, which, as we will see, is achieved. More recent scholarship has used contemporary publications from the time that these composers were writing to conceptualize how the composers and their music were perceived. An excellent example of this type of study is found in David Tunley's Salons, Singers, and Songs. This musicological and theoretical hybrid shows the development of the French song from 1830 to 1870. It includes very little on Massenet specifically, but the background information on the introduction of German Lieder to French audiences is invaluable. Massenet and the Song Cycle My study owes much to the dissertation written by Mario Champagne, called The French Song Cycle (1840-1924). Champagne's work provides a survey of French song 9 cycle composers, including Massenet, and it is from his work that I am building my argument. In summary, my argument is that Massenet's songs, particularly his cycles, reveal much about the development of the melodie, considering that the role of lesser- known composers in French society was that of the "popular composer," who published music that the public wanted to hear. In other words, popular composers are gauges of French taste at any given time. As time progressed, these French composers took the idea of the song cycle and made it their own, unequivocally French, genre. By the beginning of the twentieth century, poets and composers had adopted a much more free, fluid style of writing, which distanced French song composition even further from the German compositions in the nineteenth century. Massenet is an ideal composer to study for the purpose of understanding the progression of the melodie through the nineteenth century. An evaluation of his songs will also show the adaptation of the German Lied by French composers. From this adaptation emerged a genre of wholly musical, yet primarily text-driven works. This study expands Champagne's analysis to cover not only the coherence of larger works, but also features that illustrate Massenet's sensitivity to the poetry, experimentation with form, and use of harmonic ambiguity later in his career. The analyses of Poeme d'avril and Poeme d'amour emphasize thematic relationships (both musical and textual) and features that are identified by German Lieder. The treatment of text is increasingly important as Massenet's style progresses, so each analysis will focus specifically on the setting of text as well. The final analysis of Expressions lyriques follows a similar format, though more emphasis is placed on textual analysis. 10 CHAPTER II POEME D'AVRIL Massenet was the first of many French composers who emulated the genre of the song cycle, and his Poeme d'avril has the honor of being the first true French song cycle, with an occasional nod to Berlioz's Les nuits d'ifi as an early predecessor (Champagne 24).10 The advent ofthe song cycle in France is due to the exposure of French musicians, such as Massenet, to the song cycles of Schubert, and later Schumann. Massenet was the first to adapt the genre for the French public possibly because his early exposure to Schumann made him more receptive to the idea of emulating the song cycle. Perhaps he was simply motivated to produce French songs in the German style because of the popularity of these German song cycles (Champagne 17). Either way, in order to define Massenet's style, we must understand how and to what extent Massenet modeled his first cycle after German Lieder. By identifying what is "Germanic" about Poeme d'avril, we can distinguish what is more "French," or even "Massenet-like" about the songs. In order to link his first cycle to its German ancestors, this chapter will explore the many characteristics shared by both Poeme d'avril and the German cycles from which Massenet was inspired. The primary characteristic to be examined is structural organization. Poeme d'avril has a unique introduction that provides three motives that are 10 Champagne devotes an entire chapter (Chapter 3) to the review of cyclic coherence in Les nuits d'ete, citing that "lack of unambiguous musical interconnections" has prevented its inclusion into the continuum of French song cycles. 11 presented throughout the piece. These themes unite the eight songs of the cycle into one continuous work. The classification of Poeme d'avril as a song cycle is also based on a fair amount of song cycle research done by scholars of German Lieder, and the few scholars who have ventured to apply this research to the French melodie composers of the second half of the nineteenth century, such as Mario Champagne. In his dissertation, The French Song Cycle, he wrote about the unification of Poeme d'avril extensively. 11 He detailed the locations of the three themes at the beginning of the cycle throughout the entire work, showing how the themes at the beginning are quoted in later songs as well as combined in the last song to unite the beginning with the end. Champagne considers this unification of the first and last songs to be a common feature of Massenet's cycles Champagne 70).12 The analysis presented here deviates considerably from Champagne's requirement that a song cycle must be composed of complete songs, i.e. each song must be performable on its own (Champagne 8).13 Poeme d'avril is composed of both complete and fragmentary songs, which thus strengthens the argument that Massenet was influenced by Schumann in particular. It also provides more insight on Massenet's perspective on song cycles. In addition to the influence of genre by German Lieder composers, Massenet emulated other musical features, such as imitation, phrase structure, and form 11 Champagne, pp. 45-70, discusses the three motives of Poeme d'avril in the first third of chapter 4. 12 More specifically, he links the device with Schumann's Frauenliebe und Leben. 13 Champagne uses Peake's "somewhat dated work" for a foundational definition of the song cycle, which has four main criteria. One of these criteria is that "each of the component songs of a cycle is complete in itself and can be performed out of context." 12 (Champagne 20).14 Previous to the introduction of the cycles of Schubert and Schumann, French romances were primarily lyric melodies with spare, simple accompaniments. Tunley summarizes the romance thusly: "Stemming from the style of the late classical periods of two- and four-bar phrases, a regularity not always appropriate for a sweep of melody attempting to convey the intensity of a romantic text" (Tunley 72).15 French composers who were writing in this early period ofthe French song cycle adopted the finely crafted form and use of accompaniment in German Lieder. This influence is found throughout Massenet's first cycle. To show the progression of French song cycles through the nineteenth century, we must examine what German influence there is, as well as French characteristics that inform Massenet's compositional style. The other aspect of song that will be examined through the course of this study is that of poetic content, text setting, and the level of intimacy required by the poetry and music. The text setting seen throughout the cycle is subtle yet poignant, as we shall see. To summarize, the goal of this chapter is to demonstrate what aspects of Poeme d'avril are informed by the song cycles of Schubert and Schumann, and what aspects are purely Massenet's compositional style. A secondary goal is to set the foundation upon which we can build an idea of how Massenet's style changes throughout his career. The analysis adds an evaluation of Massenet's songs as fragments to Champagne's work on thematic relationships. An investigation into the key relationships of the cycle adds to the 14 Champagne summarizes four main categories of influence that Schubert's music had on the development of the melodie: choosing poetry with structural irregularities, lack of strophic structure, flexibility in the melodic line, and accompaniment as interpreter (hence imitation and other activity between accompaniment and voice), not merely in the background. 15 For an extensive description of the romance, see Salons, Singers, and Songs, particularly Chapters 5 and 6. 13 discussion of relationships, as well. Then, a detailed discussion of fonn and use of accompaniment serves as a comparison ofPoeme d'avril to the accepted definition of a song cycle. Finally, the analysis concludes with a study of the text setting. Thematic Relationships Champagne and the Early French Song Cycle Champagne's dissertation catalogues the themes found throughout Poeme d'avril. His work is foundational to the understanding of the French song cycle, and rather than replicating his findings here, I will mention a few things of note and then discuss what I believe was left unsaid about the cyclicity of Poeme d'avril. Although Champagne noted where the themes were found in each song of Poeme d'avril, he did not examine the relationship between the three themes, found in the first song of the cycle, "Prelude." The first theme, Theme A, shown in Example 2.1, is an arpeggiated ii07 over a Bb that resolves to a V7. These arpeggiated chords are found throughout the cycle. Themes A and C are related through this ascending arpeggiation, but in Theme C, Example 2.3, it is a tonic chord, not a dominant 7th chord, that is arpeggiated. Themes B (Example 2.2) and C are closely related; both are based on a descending scale from i down to .5. Therefore, because these themes are related to each other, so are the songs in the cycle that use materials based on these themes. 14 rill' rO'ie frileusl'. au ('U'III' 110)," dp pluil-. ~ur lin l'aml'lI11 tn'mhr.1111 yipnt d" K'1~Jl8110Ilil~ Etj" m.. seus To'pri'i 0" Ia 011111'" foli .. n.. fain' d..!! ('haIlSOI1'" et Ill' ml' 8ou\"lmir' v Lent _ sans mesure. 1":\ Eb, 11 ,~ , l/;I ~ " 1"':'\ _. : tJ -I I- ~nr-~-:;-: j r."\ : . ~I--: ---- , t "07 7 Piano. \ Example 2.1. "Prelude," mm. 1-2; Theme A. Ll's amOllN tr';p:llI';"lI qtri.IOI'mai..nt dans moo amI'. Doux LII:r:art' !IIII' ql\i j;,j tllnt "l'r6'~ dt' pl ..urs, !'\ r t . II rl fICon moto.jhj~N-lJ; h!JJJ • ou ""'f'll ...n rl81l • t'lIr SU31l'l' I' "UTS•3fl I b~~f d"mand"1l1 I,' nOIll dt' mil 1I0n\'..U~ dame~ tJ p --=::::::-. pp 1.1 ---. I 1":\ . . . . ~ I r .~I '7 6 5 Example 2.2. "Prelude," mm. 3-6; Theme B. Andantino. I 76 .-:--- '- .....:-. ~a mil'llOnlll" atu: ~ux blt'u,;, ml't!\ tn roh.. I't fU~''''ll' SOUl! II'S bois J't'mplis dombl'l' l"t d,' m':Ialll'oli .. Ghl'rl'hl'rlf' doux l'l'm;'.h· a la dOlU't' f"Ii... ~ r."\ .. ., Example 2.3. "Prelude," mm. 7-9; Theme C. 15 The eighth and final song serves as a bookend to the rest of the cycle. Many song cycle scholars, including Champagne, maintain that a link between the first and the last songs of a cycle should be readily apparent in order to accept the group of songs as a cycle. One of the best examples of this in a Schumann cycle is in Frauenliebe und -Leben. The first song is a straightforward melody with homophonic accompaniment, shown in Example 2.4. At the end of the cycle, the material used in the first song comes back as a piano postlude, shown in Example 2.5. These are clear bookends to the entire cycle. ritartl "'--------_.-/- Larghetto 1 II I P . 14! Seit gl~UDich ihn ge - se _ hen, ich II ~ I" ~ ~ ~ .. '! ~ ... ft ,p --- -1 --- ....;[ --...J,.. :::.. . . ... ! . ~ ! r. 4 " I T I . I@) blind zu sein; ;eli i~ ihn al_Iein; wie [mwo ich hin nur blik_ke, II I ......- I I -::::;;;:--.... . @) ~--:.......... ~... ... of! ~ .. ~:=:~ t'uartl. .. ...119 hi f,. '---I I ,---.... . . . I • . . I - Example 2.4. "Seit ich ihn gesehen," mm. 1-7. 23 Adagio. Tempo wie das erste Lied. 16 Example 2.5. "Nun hast du mir den ersten Schmerz getan," mm. 23-32. Poeme d'avril also has a link between the first and last songs, though the link between the first and last songs is somewhat subtle. The first four measures of "Je pars! Adieu, rna chere arne" contain material that can be traced to the three themes found at the beginning, seen in Example 2.6. The last four measures are the same as the first four measures, though two measures are reversed, so that mm. 1-2 and mm. 3-4 are in reverse order at the end. Aside from these four measures, the rest of the song is of a very different nature than the rest of the cycle. Presented in 12/8, the song feels as if it has two beats, not four. The figuration is a hurried alternation between the right and left hand, contrasting with the graceful arpeggios in the other songs. The song also remains in A minor for its duration, which is unlike the other songs in the cycle that modulate to at least one other key. 17 p 1":'\ Allt>gl'O moIto agitato. Theme A Theme B Chant. 31'1 ....-... ' . , . . . .. I~ , .~ . d b' m~ll ~utiVt> • nir!a . ffll·,g' ,-- ~.. '" ~ .. ( It.J pp sosten. assai sldr": .-j . .., r r Piano. Chant. a I 'JJ'jJ IV 000 rit Eb: I fl t"1lI1JO "\1'. , >ni> P . I I () . It) . .,. r r r ---- -"he . es Vlell. nellt de tiell.,·o-lt'r des l'1"I1X .. ILl (J ;"F*~~Jir!1~ !l.~•• a t~]~JiJ_ . t· su'-rez 1.1 pp pp - . . . . t.J I r - y viiO Example 2.8. "Sonnet matinal," rom. 1-9. 111 The third song, "Voici que les grands lys," also contains a passage that suggests a falling fifths sequence in the B section of the piece, though it is essentially a vi - ii - V - I progression. Within the context of the entire cycle, however, the passage relates to the 21 other sequences present. In the context of Poeme d'avril, our ears hear the passage below, in Example 2.9, as a sequence. The B section starts in m. 19, and it tonicizes Cb major briefly before standing on a dominant pedal in m. 22, as shown below. This tonicization also occurs in the introduction. The introduction of this piece is another example of how Massenet uses an introduction to preview the musical events that are to corne, just as the first song in the cycle previews the music of the rest of the cycle. {J tPIllPO n tellljJo lallt niadit: ... beau su- kill olle YC- ~ ., ··7 V 7 I11 Example 2.9. "Voici que les grands lys," rnrn. 16-21. Accompaniment and Phrasing Although German influence is apparent in the early cycles of Massenet, one must be careful in declaring one feature or another to be "German," or "French," or "Massenet- like." In Poeme d'avril, the clearest examples of German influence are found in the 22 interaction of the accompaniment and the vocal line, and the less "square" phrase structures. Accompaniment and Vocal Line Until the dissemination of German Lieder in the 19th century, French song was highly melodic, but accompaniment was spare, homophonic, and generally far to the background of the singer. In Poeme d'avril, the accompaniment acts as the introduction of the theme used in the song, suggests the mood with the tempo, meter, and overall character. Imitation is also used between the piano and voice in this cycle, which suggests German influence. In "Voici que les grands lys," it is clear that the accompaniment has taken a stronger role in the union between voice and piano. Melodies in the piano are used to bridge the vocal line and the accompaniment together throughout entire pieces, yet figurations that are in the style of Schumann are ever present. For example, the figuration used during the introduction of the song is derived from Theme C, and it consists of 32nd notes in arpeggios that alternate upwards and downwards. Another interesting aspect of the introduction of this piece is that it begins on a pedal tonic, which is a feature that has been cited as "German" in nature (Champagne 102).17 Note also the retrogression in mm. 2-3, seen in Example 2.10. The melody in mm. 1-3 of "Voici que les grands lys" feeds directly into the vocal melody. The vocal and accompaniment melodies trade back and forth throughout the entire song. 17 In his discussion of Widor, Champagne states that "Widor's use of 4-3 suspension figures, the use of pedals in 'Pres d'un etang' and 'Le Soir et la Douleur,' and the thick textures are very "German" or 'learned' (academic?)." 23 Andante sostenuto Con mofo. Chant. ~ I- Piano. ~~. l' Eb: I t IV IV? IV I I Example 2.10. "Voici que les grands lys," mm. 1-3. The interplay between the vocal line and the accompaniment in "Sur la source" is indicative of Massenet's education in counterpoint. The bass line has a melody that is in counterpoint with the vocal line. Another interesting feature in this song is the codetta, which contains a reprise of the harmonies found at the beginning of the song. Instead of maintaining the 32nd-note figuration, however, the harmonies are rolled chords, which again serve as a link between the song and the arpeggio at the beginning of the cycle. Phrasing Noske cites Massenet as "having finally delivered the melodie from the yoke of the square phrase" (Noske 211), which I assume to mean that Massenet's compositions had broken away from the label of 'romance' by the end of his career. The use of phrases that aren't 'square' are found in Poeme d'avril. Examples of uneven phrase lengths can be found throughout Massenet's songs. In "Sonnet matinal," Theme B is used as the accompaniment throughout the song, generally in four bar phrases (the same length as the 24 introduction). An exception to this is found in m. 20, where a measure seems to be "missing" from the expected 4+4 opening phrase. Shown below in Example 2.11, a four- measure phrase is followed by a three-measure phrase, which intensifies the forward momentum of the song. This irregularity sets the song apart in phrase structure, as does the quasi recitative in the beginning and mm. 32-34, shown in Example 2.12. Mi - gnull - lle,dans vos j u - lis A __ fumbrl:' d,' '-')"; til,; Ip Ji'lI so - p~ux dt~UX qui S~ sunt Cll- 3 measures ~ -. Example 2.11. "Sonnet matinal," mm. 10-24. 25 321\ I I ----- ---- . ~ T". , ~ .' '. f E r.! { ,.. r f r. 'OUS fP.l-gllP.Z dt~ dor.mlr ell - (:or: • '·P) • I.'Z ,·ou';,lIlon dlJux t"I' _ fo I , tJ ~. p-r--- -L:r-vpp - -. quasi I'er:t"tnto Example 2.12. "Sonnet matinal," mm. 32-34. Massenet occasionally preferred to write out ritardandos, which freed phrases from being square and predictable. A prime example of this is in "Voici que les grands lys." In m. 25 (see Example 2.13), Massenet uses a triplet figure to represent the figuration "trailing off' and slowing down for the narrator's declaration of "double reveil!" (Double awakening!) These alterations also serve to conform the music to the text, and prevent phrases from being "square" by varying the length between perceived downbeats. Measures 34-36, shown in Example 2.14, provide a good example of this. :\Jais a tie-deuI' de lid!' la rt'ndant molns fa- Inl.25 pp~ ------------~ Example 2.13. "Voici que les grands lys," mm. 25-28. fl'Ullt et SUI' St'S l'he - Yf'UX!_ (tljljH1SS1071fltO) ;:;:-. 34 1)j11 Ip.nto. COIl all/ilia tell. 26 Example 2.14. "Voici que les grands lys," mm. 34-36. Text Setting and Storyline Champagne was most thorough in his examination of the sources of poetry used in Poeme d'avril. Massenet used Armand Silvestre's poems to construct a storyline that was highly in vogue at the time of composition, as well as sharing similarities with German cycles. The general plot found in many cycles is that of found and lost love, and Poeme d'avril is no exception. The narrator begins by telling of his new love, and his drive to write songs and recall his love. Champagne considers this an entreaty to his lover. I analyze the cycle as a story told to another in past tense, and the introduction is the beginning of the story, when he addresses the salon, or audience, and prepares them for what is to come: a love story to remember. Later in the introduction, he finds himself wrapped up immediately, and places himself within the story, talking to his Mignonne, and celebrating the dawn of his relationship. What distinguishes Massenet's treatment ofthe poetry in Poeme d'avril is the use ofthematic material, text painting, and alternations between spoken and sung verse. As we progress through the cycle, we can see that Massenet took special care in setting the poetry of Silvestre. 27 The spoken text at the beginning ofthe cycle is a common feature ofMassenet's songs. He experimented with spoken verse alternated with sung verse. This idea of presenting poetry, both spoken and sung within the same song, lasted until the end of his career, and we will look at the spoken verse in his later works at a later point in this study. It is interesting that Massenet chose to set the first poem in spoken voice. Perhaps the narrator, tom between remembering his past loves and beginning to build a new relationship, has not yet joined with the accompaniment. The subjects presented in the first poem return throughout the cycle. Ideas such as remembrance, spring, dawn, blue eyes, and flowers (especially roses) return and unify the cycle textually as well as thematically. The ideas of dawn, flowers (lilies, this time), and the spring are presented again in "Voici que les grands lys." "Vous aimerez demain" relates springtime to remembrance, while "Que l'heure est done breve" reminds us that love lasts for but a moment. "Sur la source," the seventh song, alludes to a brewing storm, but the narrator is confident that his lover's image and her kiss will last forever. The final song is the farewell that is implied by the earlier songs' mentioning of fleeting love. The narrator, in "Prelude," seems to address the audience at first: Vne rose frileuse, au coeur noye de pluie, Sur un rameau tremblant vient de s'epanouir, Etje me sens repris de la douce folie De faire des chansons et de me souvenir! (A quivering rose, its heart drenched by the rain, has just opened on a trembling branch. And I feel seized once more by sweet madness, to write songs and to remember!) This seems to be a declaration ofthe narrator's intention to tell his story as the cycle 28 unfolds. However, the end of this declaration is spoken directly to his lover: Ma Mignonne aux yeux bleus, mets ta robe et fuyons Sous les bois remplis d'ombre et de melancolie Chercher Ie doux remede it la douce folie, Le soleil m'a blesse de ses premiers rayons! (My sweetheart with eyes of blue, dress yourself and let us flee into the woods filled with shadow and melancholy, to seek the sweet remedy for that sweet madness. The sun has wounded me with its first rays!) This introduction illustrates the transformation from the performer, who informs the audience that he is telling a story, into the narrator, who is speaking to his lover. The second song has exquisite text setting. The introduction, with its falling-fifths sequence, is painting the text, "Les etoiles effarouchees Niennent de s'envoler des deux" (The frightened stars /have just fled from the heavens). The excerpted Theme B at the beginning of the song is not indicative of a false start, as Champagne states (67). On the contrary, it seems to be part of the gradual waking up of his lover, Mignonne, and the descent of the fifths is the drifting back to sleep, which incites the narrator to try and wake her again. Massenet uses recitative to tease his Mignonne as well, when he recites on a Bb in mm. 32-34: "Vous feignez de dormir encor IEveillez-vous mon doux tresor!" (You feign sleep still IAwaken, my sweet treasure!). (See Example 2.12, above.) In the last non-figurated area ofthe song, the narrator pleads with his lover to wake up and return the stars to the sky. This results in a playful exchange between the voice and the accompaniment, which plays the role of the lover. The plea from the narrator finally wakes his lover, resulting in the final cadence in mm. 55-57. OU-Vl't'Z I"s ~'I'UX, EI /'I'IH!/'Z .1\ 4 511\ I tlim . .--,... r. .Y ..... .if-. _. dim. Piu len10 . a tt'mpo I pO"" I'il. .f If!::!!.:. 29 i-.J 1\1 57 lullt'~ d,:QX e - toi-It'~ t'U-"O - Ie - t'S, = ===-- ~ a tempo f:.wilf,·z ""II". MOil d"IlX tl'i'-~III'! E-willt·z a!PIIIPo..l. 1.- ~ I ""'" J- Example 2.15. "Sonnet matinal," rom. 45-62. The fourth song, "Riez-vous," begins with a spoken poem that involves the narrator talking to his lover. The poem is light-hearted in nature, and requires spoken text because of its intimacy between the speaker and his partner. The narrator asks, "why are you laughing at me? Do not laugh" (Riez-vous? ne riez-vous pas!), though he clearly enjoys the exchange that is occurring. This poem goes hand in hand with the second song, when the narrator gently wakes his lover. 30 The strophic structure of "Vous aimerez demain" not only reflects the text, which is stanzaic, but also reflects the subject matter. This song is the only song in Poeme d'avril that uses the same accompaniment for each stanza; not a single note is changed, and notes in the melody are changed only to allow more or less syllables. The reason for including such a strophic pattern is that the song is about love always returning, or "you will love tomorrow," and thus the constant return of material is like the constant return of lovers, new or old. "Que l'heure est donc breve" is the most unusual when placed in the context of the rest of the songs in Poeme d'avril. The song is short, and uses spare block chords rather than any type of figuration. The chords themselves are weakened; Massenet favored inversions and fully diminished ii0 and viio chords. These features all support the text, which has a dream-like and fleeting quality. One subtlety that Massenet employs is the passing i6/4 chord that supports the word "passe." Another such painting of text is at the end of the two strophes, when the narrator says "en aiment," and the final cadence has a Picardy 3rd. Pas yite 1 " I -. - . ~ II' • II' r • r r I'QIII' ) heUl'H ,,:-;t dUlle bn'-'"1'.4lIUIl pa~sl' t'll ai - maut! iii I I I . . . ~ I - I I r· -Pj;stnluto OSStlt J. J. .,J.;((IIl. """--.-. . I I Chant Piano. Example 2.16. "Que l'heure est donc breve," mm. 1-3. 31 (.111"1 I ',-n. lenlrJ) r.'\ 1':'\ · It.! ." !' ,.hrc -'''1:', llu'UII pa~St' ell Hi - maut! Ell ai - maut~ _ 1':1 I 1':;'. r:-.. .' · . · · . t.! ....., I r • ~'r ~.. -J. 1. ;. -; •~·Uil:t!¥ pp - · . · • I Bbm: "061511 -I Example 2.17. "Que l'heure est done breve," mm. 11-14. "Que l'heure est done breve" offers support for Ferris' idea of fragmentation, although the text gives another reason for its incompleteness: the narrator asks, "How short is the hour, then, which one spends in loving?" (Que l'heure est done breve, qu'on passe en aiment?) Massenet answers this question with the music, and his response is a brief, incomplete, and yet hopeful fragment of a song. "Sur la source," the seventh song, is strophic like "Vous aimerez demain," but each stanza modulates to a different key. First, the piece modulates to E major, which is consistent with "Vous aimerez demain." Then, in the second stanza, the song modulates to Eb major in nearly the exact manner as it had modulated to E major. Both of these stanzas contain text that refers to the wind carrying away various objects. Finally, the third stanza does not modulate, and the piece finishes in C major. This is appropriate for the text, which in the last stanza states, "the wind may blow, but the kiss remains!" The stalwart kiss of his lover is reflected in the lack of modulation of the final stanza. The brief allusion to Theme A also occurs in the last stanza in the accompaniment, in mm. 37- 32 40. This quasi-recitative area is supported by an accompaniment with grace note arpeggios, and thus reminds the listener of the arpeggios in the beginning of the cycle. Piu lento. qua"f It!citato341l - . ~ .rr r rrr r r r rr [.L" vent pe.ut bll- la -y~r a pIa - ge Mi- gIlUllllt', que me fait u _ '" - --- tJ .:/1 suflJP% I "---' r I""""" ~19-- --- ~,..~ ~p.---- ---- , Tempo I371; --.. . ~ I~ res-{e , ra - ge, TUll bai - s~r tUll - jonfs Tempo I. ~ - ~ •) ~.- ==--- --- .-/ " • • ------~:t). pil, P pp . Example 2.18. "Sur la source," mm. 34-39. The last song is set apart emotionally and texturally from the rest of the cycle, in addition to its key and lack of modulation. The tone of the song is hurried and tormented, which supports the nature of the text. This final song is the farewell between the narrator and the lover. The reappearance of the themes does, however, give hope that there will be other lovers after the conclusion of the cycle. The song is also set apart by its use of suspensions, triplet against duple feel, and faster tempo. The sung verses have an almost 33 speech-like quality to them as a result of the fast tempo. In summary, Massenet's first song cycle was heavily influenced by German song cycles, particularly by Schumann. Massenet's compositional style borrowed ideas such as thematic relationships, treatment of accompaniment and phrase structure, imitation, counterpoint, and subject matter of the poetry. However, his predilections toward chromatic mediant harmonies and the extent to which the themes in the cycle are related all create a rich foundation for him and other composers to build the French song cycle genre. The following chapter examines Poeme d'amour, a later cycle that shows an increased interest in shaping the music around the poetry, as well as a more subtle approach to structural coherence. 34 CHAPTER III POEME D'AMOUR After the publication of Poeme d'avril, Massenet composed a number of Poemes that adapted the features found in German cycles. Massenet composed seven cycles, all referred to as Poemes. During the period between Poeme d'avril and Poeme d'amour, the first large volume of collected songs was published in 1875, entitled Volume 1: 20 Melodies (Irvine 330).18 Throughout his career, Massenet published eight of these volumes which contained twenty individual solo songs as well as selected songs from his cyc1es.19 I chose to analyze Poeme d'amour not only because it was an excellent example of Massenet's style, but also because it contains one song in particular that has remained in the standard solo vocal repertoire to this day. "Ouvre tes yeux bleus" is a common sight on French recital programs, and is often published as a separate solo song. Massenet's compositional style in Poeme d'amour is intertwined with that of early German Lieder composers, and this use of dialogue is another indication of German influence; the song is contains a call-and-answer style of dialogue that is rarely found in French song. As one reviewer states, 18 Volume I was published by Hartmann, an early patron of Massenet's. 19 For a detailed list of works, consult Irvine, pp. 329-339, which lists each song and in what volume, if any, it was republished. 35 While dialogues in music for a solo singer were common in German Lieder, they were still relatively rare in French music and Schumann's influence is clear in the subtly humorous exaggerations in the accompaniment, swooning arpeggios as the young man sings to his beloved of the beauty of nature and the imitating of an eagerly beating heart as she responds that love is even more charming to contemplate. Despite this very discreet humor, the sentiments are passionately expressed, particularly in the climax as the girl exclaims that the sun itself is in her heart, where both voice and accompaniment crescendo to a triumphant fortissimo (Feeney). Poeme d'amour also contains a duet in the last movement, which is undoubtedly why it is not mentioned in Champagne's account of Massenet's song cycles (9).20 However, the cycle provides insight to the development of Massenet's style, as it was written twelve years later than Poeme d'avril. This chapter compares features of these two cycles in order to demonstrate the progression of Massenet's style toward a more fluid depiction of text and emotion, and a more integrated connection with German songwriting. In other words, though Massenet's later songs have features that suggest German origin, they are, by 1878, integrated into Massenet's own style. This chapter will review thematic relationships (as a Poeme, it has more qualities of the German song cycle, but only to some extent does Poeme d'amour exhibit the kind of motivic use that was explored in Poeme d'avrif), the relationship between melody and accompaniment, the development of freer harmonies, and the use and setting of the text. Poeme d'amour illustrates Massenet's increasing reliance on text to drive the music, rather than the other way around. Less emphasis is placed on coherent musical features (such as themes that are shared among multiple songs), though there are still features that 20 When discussing his additional qualifications for including a cycle in his study, Champagne states, "First, the songs in question must be for one voice accompanied by the piano. Developments later in the century and especially in the early part of the twentieth century make this an important qualification." 36 allow this cycle to be considered one overarching narrative piece. The more emancipated harmonies and melodies are still organized by form and, surprisingly, by more square phrasing than its predecessor, Poeme d'avril. However, breaches from the square phrases are made more apparent in juxtaposition to such rigid form. Throughout Poeme d'amour, Massenet demonstrates a maturity and sensitivity to the poetry that was not as apparent in previous compositions. Thematic Relationships The thematic relationships in Poeme d'amour are not nearly so straightforward as they were in Poeme d'avril. However, there are a few relationships that bear mentioning, namely key areas, and a series of chords that replicate the keys present in the cycle. This creates a large-scale hidden repetition that unifies the work. Massenet demonstrates a more refined use of material within each song, such that each individual song contains relationships within itself that are more subtle and musically sensitive. Key Relationships The songs in Poeme d'amour create a key scheme that contains a few noticeable patterns. The figure below shows the key of each song and the key to which it modulates. As you can see, the songs emphasize the generic keys ofA, G, and F. Figure 3.1, below, indicates relationships that center around the third song, "Ouvre tes yeux bleus." The first and fifth songs both modulate to the relative major. The second and fourth songs are both in G major. A closer look reveals that the keys of the first three songs descend by a whole step, and those of the second three songs also descend by a whole step. This, along with 37 other features that will be mentioned later, creates a division between the third and the fourth songs, thus creating two mini-cycles. In addition, the third and sixth songs both modulate up a third to the chromatic mediant, and they are also the only duets in the cycle. The narrative also supports this idea, which will be explored later. This arrangement of keys suggests that Massenet mapped out the key areas beforehand, which suggests that they were an important consideration. I I Song: 1 2 3 Key: Am GM FM Modulates to: CM EM AM ---------First Set I 4 5 6 GM Fm EbM Gm AbM GbM -------Second Set Figure 3.1. Key Relationships in Poeme d'amour. The second set of songs has a unique structure that links them together. The fifth and sixth songs both begin on an extended dominant pedal, and when taking into consideration the beginning and end of each song, one finds a falling fifths relationship, shown in Figure 3.2, This relationship between songs reflects Massenet's desire to make a "whole" cycle out of song "parts." Song 4 Song 5 Song 6 C __(D7)_ G C7 ----- FM Bb7 ----- EbM Figure 3.2. Falling Fifths in the Key Scheme of Poeme d'amour. 38 One interesting similarity between Poeme d'avril and Poeme d'amour is that the first and last songs of each cycle are related by tritone. Poeme d'amour begins in A minor and ends in Eb major, whereas Poeme d'avril begins in Eb major and ends in A minor, which is the reverse order. Both cycles contain a final song that is somehow distantly related to the others in more ways than the key relationships. In Poeme d'avril, the final song incorporates all three of the themes, but the body of the song has an extremely fast tempo, uses a figuration completely unlike the other songs, and in terms of the narrative, is the hasty, foul-natured farewell in a cycle ofotherwise positive sentiments. In Poeme d'amour, the final song is a duet where both voices are singing at the same time, which sets it apart from the other songs. The poetry also suggests a separation from the rest of the cycle because the duet occurs after the couple goes through a negative experience, and comes through the experience full ofjoy and hope for the future. Parallel Chord Relationships Often, the relationship between A, G, and F appears as a series of chords in parallel motion, particularly in parallel 6/3 progressions. This is a small-scale repetition of the key relationships between songs. This could be referred to as a "hidden repetition," and gives credit to Massenet, who seems to be making connections between harmony and overall key relationships. In mm. 3-4 of the first song, "Je me suis plaint," the initial A minor chord begins a series of parallel 6/3 chords, forming the progression of A minor, G major, F major, and back to G major (see Example 3.1). These four chords are the same as the keys of the first four songs. 39 Mouv~ modere ._Av~c un st'olimt'nt intimt' tot srmplt'. A P LUI 1'r- T1 vv de me suis plaint allX tourte_ reL les: 1'1 .- , 1 --...... 1-( ·. · ..; ..... ... .... -7: ..... PJ,\NO. ( PI I. . Am:i A . :I: 'III 'II 'III G F G ( ( 51'\ I • I .; r - Et .r , , deLes tollrte_ rei _ les ont ge_rni, la ca_ res _ se leurs ai _ les 1'\ ---- I -----'1 ,-- ---...... . · . · . . .., .... , . ... ..... .... '.., . .. . i . . · . . . .. . . I I .. Example 3.1. "le me suis plaint," mm. 1-8. Massenet uses parallel 6/3 chords in the second song as well, shown in in Example 3.2. The first half of "La nuit, sans doute" is organized into phrases of two 4/4 bars and one 3/2 bar. The 3/2 measure contains parallel 6/3 chords that move up by step over a D pedal, while the first two 4/4 measures are descending scales over G and D pedals. The parallel 6/3 chords in Example 3.2 are G major, A minor, B minor, and F#o. When considering just the roots of the chords, the passage of chords in Example 3.2 is an inversion of the passage labeled in Example 3.1. Instead of descending two steps and ascending one step, the chords in Example 3.2 ascend two steps and descend one step. 40 ---------_..-/ Calme, recueilli. mais sans lenteuT. pIll .. ... ~ r I r r r I .1 La Duit,_- sans doute,__ ~Uait tr9p hel _ Ie, Ilot ,~ ~ .. ( p j J ~ I. Jg~ .=::n TJ lUI. PIANO. 3 J'\ .. _t':'. ~ . - ~ r .t r J Le tiel tl'0P hleu;_ Joos tort d'admi. rer asec el _ Ie Au I r.-. ,- -!~: G: .. ~ v -(j. VI ...I ... (V7) ~ J ~ I11 III 0 In: ---- ____ I:IU'- ___U" Example 3.2. "La nuit, sans doute," mm. 1-5. The phrase in mIll. 13-15, which contains repeated material that is transposed up a step each measure, is also harmonized with parallel 6/3 chords, and shown in Example 3.3. This passage also inverts the chords similar to the pattern in Example 3.2. 41 en animanf peu it pe/l. 1211 .. p ~ '" ~ e.J _ n , r. Sur les , Oui,cest ta fau _ te, o0111 t,gazons. ___. se_reJ _ De,- i'T/ animallt pill! h peu. II .. --- I -.... --- I I --........, I~I I ----I e.J .., - 'I • - nl I PJ J .J J .J J J J J .J J J ere _ seen \( f1511 .. ~ ....- ~ 1e.J , I , - Si SOD beau cou, Son front pa _ Ie. .sesyeux de reJ - ne M'ont I'~ldu II .. I~I 1-- I , I -;---... . I .... I I 1 'I r-----r ~r 1 .; J J - -= Ji J - ,ft. qp. I - do. = '1 I I Example 3.3. "La nuit, sans doute," mm. 12-17. The final cadence of "La nuit, sans doute" is not a perfect authentic cadence, unlike the cadences in Poeme d'avril. In m. 22, the parallel 6/3 chords are G major, A minor, B diminished, and F major, and they are played above a D pedal. G major, A minor, and F major are grouped together at the end of "La nuit, sans doute;" the F natural prepares the listener for the next song, "Ouvre tes yeux bleus," which is in F major. The F natural is very prominent at the final cadence because the vocal line leaps to it by tritone in m. 23. The last note sung is a D, which is 5in G major. 42 ( ( - .f,' tetenez .221\ .. ~ - - - 1":\ . .; r Ie ci~1 rLa nuit,sans dOllte.etait tr·op hel_Ie. trop hleu! .. ~J T - ~"':\II ... ,L I--'-- "I • ~ .. :fl- ~ .,; • iJ , • .....~. --- f ::::=:::=- pJ .J t n,--..... 1..: +! .. ..J ..J .I .:l---j ,.. t.n ~. ~ I I I I I F"-' '.:./f-rl!t/itwz. _ -~. - - - Example 3.4. "La nuit, sans doute," mm. 22-25. This pattern is also present in the fourth song, "Puisque je fus aime." Shown in Example 3.5, the chords in mm. 14-15 are not strictly parallel 6/3 chords, but the bass notes descend by step then ascend twice by step, which makes the passage both inverted and in retrograde to the original passage in Example 3.1. pf13J'\ .. I I I .~ - ~ Ptliil (Ill" Po "., :'_ ('1~ . - qe. - qllil" Jt! it.~mt" Jt! ~~ ~lII. :::::iit!!a •..-- I I \ -- ...........,; ! Jf ,. . r . , ..I P~ ... ;. J ... ~I .......... C B Example 3.5. "Puisqu'elle a pris rna vie," mm. 13-15. C D 43 Harmony The harmonies exhibited in Poeme d'amour reflect a more mature, refined composer with an ear bent towards what is popular among the consumers of his music. As the nineteenth century drew to a close, poets and composers alike were creating works that were less rigid and pre-defined by past compositions. Certain attributes of Poeme d'amour, however, carried over from the previous cycles, which we can consider hallmarks of Massenet's personal style. These features are as follows: prevalent use of chromatic mediant modulations, retrogression, and implied or understated final cadences. Not all of his songs in all of his works exhibit these features, but enough do to suggest the features as "Massenet-like." Pitch Centers Like Poeme d'avril, Poeme d'amour contains songs that modulate to chromatic mediants, but some songs exhibit more fluid pitch centers. The first song, "Je me suis plaint," has a very fluid pitch center, shifting from Am to C in nearly every other phrase, as shown in the table below. This fluidity is reminiscent of the opening song of Dichterliebe, and creates a sense of insecurity or unsettledness. The duality of keys in this song suggests mixed emotions within the narrator as he complains to things in nature and they comfort him in turn. The mixed emotions intensify toward the end of the song, when the narrator proclaims that while these things comforted him, what cured him was a woman: "Mais qui rna gueri? c'est la femme! IQuandje pleurais, elle a pleure!" (But who cured me? The woman! IWhen I cried, she cried!) 44 Table 3.1. Key areas in "Je me suis plaint." A minor mm.1-6 mm. 11-12 mm.15-20* mm.26* C major mm.7-l0 mm. 13-14 mm.2l-25 *Contains A major modulation The pitch center in "La nuit, sans doute" changes rapidly in mm. 7-12, shown below in Example 3.6. Preceded by a vi(6/5/ V in G major, the song tonicizes E major in m. 7 while maintaining an LIP (linear intervallic pattern). In m. 9, the parallel 6/3 chords are hinted at, but a flourish in the accompaniment disrupts the pattern. The following measures, mm. 10-11, are in A minor, and lead to the second half of the song in G major. This series of modulations shows that the pitch center is more fluid, which is a trend that appears in many of the songs in Poeme d'amour. The music here is particularly apt for the text in this passage since the text is about the narrator being "rendered insane" by the night and the love for his partner. 45 I11\:.IG: viio6/5N E: V6/4 - 4/3 14-3 6 11 » • t":\ nit' . eJ - I' , IL'~u _ ne de Dieu. _ C'etait dans Ies nids de verdll _ re t":\ II» ,- - I il ... r #15 nfir ? j;r #f\I \ I .r F'" ~ I 9-I ··7 9 Trop de chansons,'...__===--_ Vetoi _ Ie hrillait _tl'0P pu _ r~ -- ~ ··611 ···6111 Am: ·61 VII7 i9/4 - 8/3 Example 3.6. "La nuit, sans doute," nun. 6-11. The first section of "Ouvre tes yeux bleus" also modulates up to a chromatic mediant, from F major to A major. This is achieved by continuing the bass line from C - Bb - A in nun. 8-9. The aural effect, however, is jarring because there is no real moment of pivoting. This chord progression also echoes the A - G - F pattern that is found throughout the cycle; the implied F chord passes through a G minor chord on the way to A major. The section in A major is also harmonized with an A pedal throughout, similar to the part in F major. The modulation back to F major is more subtle, and relies again on a descending bass line to lead from the A to a C, seen in Example 3.8, below. 46 6 De_jil. fa fauvet _ te fl'e _ don _ _ ne en chant d'a_ 9 F G _ m!lut'.~__ A Example 3.7. "Ouvre tes yeux bleus," mm. 6-11. The songs in Poeme d'amour also contain retrogressing chord progressions. This is related in part to the use of parallel 6/3 chords, such as the passage above in "Je me suis plaint," Example 3.1, and "La nuit sans doute, Example 3.2. In "Ouvre tes yeux bleus," the first phrase implies a cadential 6/4 progression with the bass line, but leads to a ii6 chord instead; the same song contains a retrogressive move from a V7 to a ii4/2 chord in mm. 17-18, shown below in Example 3.8. 47 16 _ Ie - (oi! . _veilHe ,f' F ··7:11 Rtf _ veil Ie - toi !. _ Example 3.8. "Ouvre tes yeux bleus," mm. 16-20. Ambiguity Massenet creates more ambiguous harmony by leaving out the leading tone. Unlike the extended introduction of Poeme d'avril, the introduction of the fIrst song in Poeme d'amour, "Je me suis plaint," is a mere two measures over an A pedal. In the example shown above, the material from the first two measures is altered slightly in the next two measures, though the A pedal remains. The accompaniment has a simple block chord construction, which supports a more declamatory melody that is mostly comprised of eighth notes. The chords consist of alternating A minor and E chords. The E chords do 48 not have a third, so their role as dominant chords is ambiguous. The next two measures, mm. 5-6, contain the conclusion of the first phrase in A minor with a perfect authentic cadence. (See Example 3.1.) As discussed above, Massenet also uses very spare accompaniment at the moment of the final cadence in each song. This is another way of breaking from the square, predictable phrases used in French romance and early German Lieder. A look at the final cadences of each song reveals Massenet's consistent use of spare accompaniments to imply V7 chords. In "Puisqu'elle a pris rna vie," in Example 3.9, the right hand melody leads to a single 5that supports the vocal line. The accompaniment continues to descend to 4, and resolves to a:3 in the return of the figuration used throughout the B section of the song. 494 331II ... . eo I I •••La fleur du . I Puisque jesou _ VP _Dlr .,. ~~~~r:t1~ ... . .. • j' r I 'f I u· .,'.;. .J f.~rpreSs! d salls refenir.J. J . ~. . . . I I I 1":\ , f , II 2 i 1,·r M .l lu" anl·nl'~.d~§E';.~OU~\.. ~p~'"~~£§J~._:~~~£§ {us ai - me! .. -;------========:======.;;=::=r:: 3 (~~~~~~~ ~.~.~.H/~i!'t,Z·U~~~~~~~ r Example 3.9. "Puisqu'elle a pris rna vie," mm. 31-38. The final cadence of "Pourquoi pleures-tu?.." is similar to that of "Puisqu'elle a pris rna vie." Shown in Example 3.10, in m. 41, the right hand figuration is accented and then lingers on 4, which is picked up by the vocal line. The vocal line then descends to an F unaccompanied, resulting in a perfect authentic cadence. 50 41 .----- p ve ...meurt sur fa gre 4 :3 2 poc rail451\ I I 0 ;. l . OUV. 1':\ . .;\ fait dll_ reI' hien! i\ ..--..~ ~~ ......----., I':( .; p :::- ~r -SUiliCZ. e~ : ~ .. i • , • I (;; 1,;/ I Example 3.10. "Pourquoi pleures-tu?.," mm. 41-48 The most striking form of ambiguity employed by Massenet is the extended use of pedal tones in Poeme d'amour. Pedal tones are referred to as a German influence in French song, but Massenet uses them extensively. They create a soundscape ofmany suspensions and prolonged areas of tonic and dominant. Examples ofpedal tones are found in nearly every song in this cycle. For example, Massenet uses a prolonged dominant pedal throughout the majority of "Pourquoi pleures-tu," the fifth song of Poeme d'amour. Set in F minor, the first 16 measures hover over a low, repeated C. When the song modulates to Ab major, the song remains over a dominant pedal, which is Eb in this 51 case. The dominant pedal finally resolves to a tonic in m. 43, three measures from the end. The last three measures evoke the famous Prelude in C Major from J. S. Bach's Well- Tempered Clavier, Book 1; rather than resolving to an F major chord, the dominant pedal resolves to F7, which passes through a iio4/2 chord, and finally rests on an F major chord in m. 45. Melody and Accompaniment The relationship between melody and accompaniment in Poeme d'amour is different from what we encountered in Poeme d'avril. The accompaniment scarcely doubles the melody, unlike Poeme d'avril, which gives the impression that Massenet was writing for a more musically advanced singer. This independence of melody and accompaniment also allowed for the expansion of the roles played by both of these parts. The melody became more fluid, more glued to the accents of the text, which amounted to a freer, more declamatory feel. In contrast, the accompaniment became more spare and, surprisingly, more regular throughout the pieces. In fact, Poeme d'amour is much easier to analyze formally than Poeme d'avril. The phrase lengths and repetitions are much easier to discern because the phrases are more "square" than in Poeme d'avril. The phrasing reflects the consistent meter that the poetry used, but as the poetry was written towards the end of the century, the phrases are not always square. When the text deviates from a more normative pattern, the music also deviates from square phrases. Because these deviations are a more sharp contrast from the otherwise consistent, even phrases, listeners more easily perceive them. As an example, "Ouvre tes yeux bleus," is a rare type of duet in which the man 52 speaks to the woman, and the woman responds. There is no overlap of the two voices; it is strictly a call and response. This is uncommon among French song, although it happens more often in German Lieder, as discussed before. The two singers have their own accompaniment figurations. Throughout this section, the harmony is extended through the use of pedal tones. Each phrase begins in F major, and an F pedal lasts three out of the four measures, as in Example 3.11, below. In the fourth measure of each phrase, there is a suggested 16/4 chord, which is evaded with the inclusion of a ii6 chord. (As a side note, the accompaniment begins with a 16th-note ascending arpeggio that is repeated throughout the duration of the first half of the piece. The vocal line imitates the ascending figuration in its first entry in m. 2. This imitation is augmented such that the vocal line uses 8th notes instead of 16th notes.) 3LUI. Allegro. (Avec assez d'animationt 53 lUI. Ouvre tes yeuxhleus, rna illt_ _ De: Voi _ci Ie Jour. _ Example 3.11. "Ouvre tes yeux bleus," mm. 1-5. The last phrase in the first section, mm. 21-25, is the same as the first phrase in mm. 2-5, with the important exception of the second chord in m. 23, shown in Example 3.12. In this last phrase, the 16/4 is normalized, and a true V7 chord leads into the second part of the song. 54 On _HI' les )'~lIX blr.lIS, rna mI _ gDO(} De; rlf' ELLE. ?-:vI . I , e.J -- ...Yoi _ ci Ie jOlll'! .. Al{lIoi bOll cODtempJer la 1:rMouv~ un Pl'1l muins animi-, pIns souteQIl. -.. 1\ -- e.J ~~ .. .. ............. .... ....................... -=. i i = "1/' .. I ~~ ~=r~~ ( ( V6/4 7/5/3 Ped.I Example 3.12. "Ouvre tes yeux bleus," mm. 21-25. The second half ofthe song is the woman's response to the man. The accompaniment uses repeated block chords rather than arpeggios. The two sections are joined at the end, when the woman sings the same melody as the opening of the man's section over her own style of accompaniment in mm. 34-38, shown in Example 3.13. Her phrase ends an octave above, however, which indicates her ecstatic mood and jubilation. 55 34J'1 J' aI Et Ie grand so _ lei I qui oous bru Ie - -(: J I i I I I--.... ... - -( J' .- e: ~ ...... ... .. .. ... ... - ~ 1~ 'I\.~mpo. * Ped..Peel. Ii6J'1 Tn - . - --..... 1':\ aI Est dans ernUl'! 1':\moo t.~ Tempo, ....... :I: , ftj(: I ,. r.\, - '. • I ml/. ff' - - n J~ .L.1' cresc .~ ~ ...... t-9- J 1':\ ~I .s.z~ ... ----- ......~ ~---- ...--e-\.:/ Example 3.13. "Ouvre tes yeux bleus," nun, 34-38. The fourth song, "Puisqu'elle a pris rna vie," is more through-composed than others, and the accompaniment figuration changes with each phrase. In nun. 6-9, shown in Example 3.14, the accompaniment is repeated up by step and accelerates the motion of the phrase, similar to nun. 13-15 in "La nuit, sans doute." The melody does not conform to this pattern, and instead weaves in and out of the accompaniment melody in a contrapuntalmanneL 56 6A a : . .&1 I I " T T V .vPuisque rh