D’un soir triste (Of a Sad Evening)

Composed: 1918

BY Lili Boulanger

Born

August 21, 1893

Paris, France

DIED

March 15, 1918

Mézy-sur-Seine, France

Lili Boulanger was surrounded by musical excellence from the moment she was born. Her father, Ernest, was a composer who won the Prix de Rome, the highest honor for aspiring French composers, and her mother, Raïssa, was a professional singer. Her grandfather, Frédéric, was a noted cellist, and her grandmother, Marie-Julie, a successful mezzo-soprano. Not to mention that her sister, Nadia, six years her senior, became one of the most celebrated teachers of musical composition.

However, Lili Boulanger did not live an easy life. She contracted a severe case of bronchial pneumonia and continued to suffer from ailments, leading to her death at age 24. Health issues aside, she was able to pursue composition studies and even studied with Paul Vidal, a respected conductor who taught at the Paris Conservatory. At the age of 19, she won the Prix de Rome, becoming the first woman composer to win the prize — an accolade that even Nadia failed to achieve after four attempts.

By the time she composed D’un soir triste in 1918, her health had significantly deteriorated. This piece and its companion, D’un matin de printemps (On a Spring Morning), were completed only with the help of Nadia. Despite the physical pains Lili faced, D’un soir triste captures an advanced ability to harness complex emotions. Filled with dusky hues, which paint a melancholy and foreboding picture, the work can even be described as dirge-like, with its decidedly solemn palette. But there are also moments of high drama in the strings and horns, as well as a sense of mystery and elusiveness. Knowing of Boulanger’s imminent death, one could interpret this work as an attempt to grapple with her own suffering, though the piece stands on its own as a dynamic and thoughtful portrait of longing, fear, and sadness.

Duration: 12 minutes