a comparative analysis of louis durey and francis poulenc's settings ...

More documents

Recommendations

Info

49 L’Écrevisse—Poulenc Much like Durey, Poulenc emphasizes the elements of backwardness in his setting of “L’Écrevisse.” The approach and overall sound, however, is quite different. Durey’s “L’Écrevisse” does not crescendo at all—it only gets quieter as the piece continues— Poulenc’s setting provides more dynamic contrast. Also, unlike Durey’s timide tempo marking setting, Poulenc’s setting trots along at an assez vif (rather fast) tempo. This is interesting, since crabs are not generally considered fast moving creatures. As the motive is introduced immediately in the accompaniment, one pictures a crab scurrying “to and fro.” The crab rushes forward and retreats backwards, rather quickly, along with the tide. The piece slows slightly and settles into a tempo at the vocal entrance at measure 3. The accompaniment in measures 3-8 mimics the vocal line, and the motive is reintroduced, an octave lower and backwards in measure nine, when the vocal line begins its slide backwards. The repetition, especially in measures 9-12, emphasizes the poet’s hesitant tendency. As the piece continues, the range of the accompaniment descends and both hands move into the bass clef at measure nine. Fig. 11 “L’Écrevisse,” mm. 1-2 The tessitura of the vocal line lies around A-flat, as the piece is in A-flat minor. The vocal line moves in seconds and thirds until à reculons in bar nine, when the voice slides down a fifth, emphasizing backwardness. At measure six, Poulenc alters the time
50 signature to 2/4, for only a measure. This has an interesting effect on the text Vous et moi nous nous en allons; it makes that particular line seem to be a parenthetical phrase that ties in the metaphor relating the poet to the crab. Vivian Wood notes that “L’Écrevisse” has irregular phrase groupings: a two-bar introduction is followed by a two-bar phrase, a phrase of one-and-a-half bars is wedged in the middle of the piece, followed by another two-bar phrase and two two-bar repetitions of à reculons. 73 The dynamics hover around mf for the most part, although Pierre Bernac suggests more of a contrast at the end of the piece, with the repeated à reculons on piano rather than mezzo forte. 74                                                          73 Vivian Wood, Francis Poulenc: An Analysis of Style, 117. 74 Bernac, Interpretation of French Song, 279. 
Page 1 and 2:
A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF LOUIS DUR
Page 3 and 4: Special Thanks To Dr. Thomas Millig
Page 5 and 6: v List of Figures Fig. 1 “Le chè
Page 7 and 8: 2 other composing to the same poem
Page 9 and 10: 4 on the artistic level, Durey and
Page 11 and 12: 6 lyricism. 15 Auric and Poulenc st
Page 13 and 14: 8 III. Biographical Background a. G
Page 15 and 16: 10 b. Louis Durey (1888-1979) Louis
Page 17 and 18: 12 c. Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) F
Page 19 and 20: 14 d. Raoul Dufy (1877-1953) Raoul
Page 21 and 22: 16 IV. Le Bestiaire—The Union of
Page 23 and 24: 18 a. Le chèvre du Thibet For all
Page 25 and 26: 20 b. Le dromadaire With his four d
Page 27 and 28: 22 c. La sauterelle See the fine gr
Page 29 and 30: 24 d. Le dauphin Dolphins, you play
Page 31 and 32: 26 e. L'écrevisse Uncertainty, O m
Page 33 and 34: 28 f. La carpe Carp, how long you l
Page 35 and 36: 30 called irresistibly for music, o
Page 37 and 38: 32 Le Chèvre du Thibet—Durey In
Page 39 and 40: 34 Le Chèvre du Thibet—Poulenc P
Page 41 and 42: 36 Le Dromadaire—Durey Durey’s
Page 43 and 44: 38 Le Dromadaire--Poulenc Poulenc
Page 45 and 46: 40 La Sauterelle—Durey The tempo
Page 47 and 48: 42 La Sauterelle--Poulenc The short
Page 49 and 50: 44 Le Dauphin—Durey The accompani
Page 51 and 52: 46 “Le Dauphin” has a sing-song
Page 53: 48 Durey emphasizes backwardness in
Page 57 and 58: 52 with A-flat major, in measure 11
Page 59 and 60: 54 The piece is grounded in the qui
Page 61 and 62: 56 even if he had just composed “
Page 63 and 64: 58 Bibliography Apollinaire, Guilla
show all

a comparative analysis of louis durey and francis poulenc's settings ...

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?