Ensemble: mixed choir (SATB), piano
Duration: 12′
Written: 2017
Lyrics: Paul Verlaine verseire (I. Claire de lune; II. Marine; III. Soleils couchants)
Premiere: 09.03.2018., New Liszt Ferenc Chamber Choir, Balázs Demény (piano), conducted by László Norbert Nemes. Budapest, Liszt Academy, Solti Chamber Hall.
Award: the piece won the Istvánffy Benedek Award of the Hungarian Composers’ Union, a recognition awarded annually to an outstanding composer under 40.
Program notes:
The French poet, Paul Verlaine considered poetry as an art of music in itself: lyrics, the sound of which is even more important than their meaning. This gave the basic inspiration for my composition titled Trois romances (Three romances). I chose three Verlaine poems: the pieces titled Clair de lune (Moonlight), Marine (Marine), and Soleils couchants (Setting suns). I applied the poems in three different pieces.
All three compositions consist of two parts: a récitatif (recitative) and a tableau section. During the récitatif sections, the complete lyrics of the poems appear in a spoken-like form, expressed by simple musical elements. These are followed by tableau sections, which are rich-toned, grandiose choral tableaux. These parts have either no lyrics or only contain limited words, emotionally reflecting on the spoken-like sound of the poems.
The composition introduced in 2018 commemorates the 100th anniversary of Debussy’s death.
