- Written in 1913, Trois poèmes de Mallarmé (Three Poems of Mallarmé) is a set of three art songs for voice and an ensemble of flutes, clarinets, string quartet, and piano using poetry by Symbolist writer Stéphane Mallarmé.1
- Ravel’s interesting choice of instrumentation for this piece was inspired by (and identical to) Stravinsky’s Three Japanese Lyrics.
- Ravel’s meandering vocal line and harmonic ambiguity beautifully capture the nature of Mallarmé’s Symbolist poetry. Ravel also employs a recitative/ speech-like style for the vocalist in appreciation for the natural recitation of poetry.
- 1. Soupir (Sigh) – Dedicated to Stravinsky
- 2. Placet futile (Futile Petition) – Dedicated to Florent Schmitt
- 3. Surgi de la croupe et du bond (Emerge from the crupper and the bound) – Dedicated to Satie2
- Poems & English translations found here
- Fun fact – at the same time (1913) that Ravel was writing Trois poèmes de Mallarmé, Debussy was doing the same, even using two of the same poems chosen by Ravel. FWIW, Ravel was the first to obtain permission to use Mallarmé’s poetry and actually intervened to make sure Debussy could publish his settings as well, so as to not unnecessarily ruffle feathers with his colleague ;).3
Sources
- “3 Poèmes de Stéphane Mallarmé, M.64 (Ravel, Maurice),” IMSLP, accessed June 4, 2024, https://imslp.org/wiki/3_Po%C3%A8mes_de_St%C3%A9phane_Mallarm%C3%A9%2C_M.64_(Ravel%2C_Maurice).
- Oliver Pashley, “Ravel’s Trois Poèmes de Mallarmé – Fragile and Beautiful,” Interlude (2023), accessed June 4, 2024, https://interlude.hk/ravels-trois-poemes-de-mallarme-fragile-and-beautiful/.
- Roger Nichols, Notes in accompanying booklet, Debussy: Songs, Vol. 2 performed by Lorna Anderson and Malcolm Martineau, Hyperion 67883, 2012, compact disc.
Cut IDs
43077