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Deux petites chansons - (2006)
Jacques Prévert
for mezzo soprano and pianopour Lorena Scarlata Rizzo avec affection
These texts remain under copyright and are therefore not fully reproduced herein.
i. Chanson [ 3 pages, circa 3' 00" ]
Quel jour sommes-nous
Nous sommes tous les jours....
ii. Alicante [ 1 page, circa 1' 00" ]
Une orange sur la table
Ta robe sur le tapis....
[ Duration - 4 pages, circa 4'00" ]
Jacques Prévert
These texts are drawn from Prévert's anthology, Paroles (1946), and were selected by mezzo soprano Lorena Scarlata during our work together in Torino at the end of 2006, as she presented me with an edition of his works in both French and Italian translations, Poesie d'amore e libertà (2000, Ugo Guanda Editore, Parma). Prévert's style and typography of that period was without punctuation, and so I offer translations below, also without punctuation as did Italian translators Cucchi and Raboni in the 1989 edition from the same publisher.
i. Song
What a day that we are
We are all the days
My friend
We are all of life
My love
We love one another and we live
We live and we love one another
And we know not that it is life
And we know not that it is the day
And we know not that it is love
ii. Alicante
An orange on the table
Your robe on the carpet
And you in my bed
Tender moment in the now
Coolness of the evening
Warmth of my life
"Chanson" is a long lined lyrical love affair with the self, as Lorena saw the friend, "love," and a multivalent character, perhaps the self and perhaps the other. This charming reading suggested a sweet and slow melody with an accompaniment of polytonal yet diatonic chord progressions by which to accompany the voice.
The second song is a mere one page long, a set of three simple images, followed by a set of three sense impressions, all related by that experience which precedes the poem's words and images.
Lorena Scarlata Rizzo
The score for Deux petites chansons is available as a free PDF download, though any major commercial performance or recording of the work is prohibited without prior arrangement with the composer and estate of Jacques Prévert. Click on the graphic below for this piano-vocal score.
