Duration: 5 minutes

Description: Lili Boulanger (1893–1918), the first woman to win the Prix de Rome, composed Nocturne in 1911 and Cortège in 1914, two brief companion works that reveal the extraordinary maturity and distinctive voice of a composer whose career was tragically cut short at the age of twenty-four. Nocturne is an intimate, lyrical meditation, its long-breathed melody and subtly colored harmonies reflecting the influence of Fauré and Debussy while displaying Boulanger’s own gift for expressive restraint and luminous atmosphere. By contrast, Cortège, written during her residency at the Villa Medici in Rome shortly before the outbreak of World War I, is bright, playful, and rhythmically animated, its witty dialogue between violin and piano suggesting the lively procession implied by its title. The two works received their first performance together on December 17, 1915, at the Petit Palais in Paris, with violinist Émile Mendels and the composer at the piano, during a charitable concert organized in support of French soldiers (“les Poilus”) serving in World War I. Today, Nocturne and Cortège have become among Boulanger’s most frequently performed chamber works, treasured by violinists for their contrasting moods, exquisite craftsmanship, and poignant glimpse into the remarkable artistry of one of the most gifted composers of the early twentieth century. Reprint edition.

• M226291 / 36-M226291 TWO PIECES FOR VIOLIN SOLO/PNO $6.95Buy Now