Opus 44Deux idylles, and A Flower given to my daughterfor voice and piano| Curiously, the number 44 was given to two separate works in Roussel's oeuvre: the Deux idylles on ancient Greek texts, and the song A Flower given to my daughter, on an English poem by James Joyce. As these melodies share an opus number, they are discussed here together. |
Deux idylles| Written: 1931 | Premiered: Paris, March 5, 1932 Régine de Lormoy, Arthur Hoérée |
| Length: 1 and a half minutes each |
Two melodies: Le Kérioklépte Pan aimait Ekho |
| Words by: No. 1, Theocritus No. 2, Moskhos trans. by Leconte de Lisle |
Voice(s): No. 1, soprano No. 2, soprano or tenor |
| Publisher: Durand | Dedication: No. 1, Mme Régine de Lormoy No. 2, Mme Yvonne Brothier |
About this Work:|
Roussel's inspiration for a number of works came from ancient Greece. These works include the ballets Bacchus et Ariane and Aeneas, the lyric tale La naissance de la lyre, and the two sets of melodies entitled Odes anacreontique.
The Deux idylles are yet another work with a classical heritage. They share a general similarity of style with the Odes anacreontiques, for which Roussel used a translation by the same Leconte de Lisle. The pianist at the premiere of these two melodies was Arthur Hoérée, a good friend of Roussel's. Hoérée devoted much of his life to promoting Roussel's music, e.g., arranging a movement of the posthumous Reed Trio from sketches, writing a biography of Roussel, and working to publish Roussel's letters. |
Other opinions:|
The only [melodies] after Op. 12 of which one can think even slightly disparaging are the "Deux Idylles," Op. 44, and these are only not very interesting. [Norman Demuth]
The Deux Idylles are also settings of translations by Leconte de Lisle, this time of poems by Theocritus and Moskhos, and they display the same clarity of outline and economy of texture as the earlier odes. [Basil Deane] A Flower Given to my Daughter.... is an austere piece, in strict, stark counterpoint that contrasts strongly with the Deux Idylles (also dating from 1931), so characteristic of Roussel with their sharp irony and incomparable charm. [Dom Angelico Surchamp]
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A Flower Given to my Daughter| Written: 1931 | Premiered: London, March 16, 1932 Dorothy Moulton |
| Length: 2 minutes | One melodie |
| Words by: James Joyce | Voice: mezzo soprano |
| Publisher: Durand | Dedication: none |
About this Work:| This song is one of a handful of vocal works that Roussel wrote to English texts, the most notable of which is Psalm 80. (The melodie "A Farewell", number two of opus 19, is also in English.) It was written for a volume of settings of Joyce's poems entitled The Joyce Book, published by Sylvan Press, London. |
Other opinions:|
The subtle fragrance of Joyce's poetry has eluded Roussel. [Basil Deane]
This little fragment indicates the complete happiness with the English language in a small way which which he had shown on a large scale in "Psalm 80". [Norman Demuth] A Flower Given to my Daughter.... is an austere piece, in strict, stark counterpoint that contrasts strongly with the Deux Idylles (also dating from 1931), so characteristic of Roussel with their sharp irony and incomparable charm. [Dom Angelico Surchamp]
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