Claude Debussy – Beau Soir (GSARCI VIDEO VERSION)
Claude Debussy – Beau Soir (GSARCI VIDEO VERSION)
“Beau Soir” (French for “Beautiful Evening”) is a French art song written by Claude Debussy. It is a setting of a poem by Paul Bourget. Debussy was 15 or 16 when he wrote this song (ca. 1877/8), and his music was marked by the aesthetics of the period.
English translation of the lyrics:
When streams turn pink in the setting sun,
And a slight shudder rushes through the wheat fields,
A plea for happiness seems to rise out of all things
And it climbs up towards the troubled heart.
A plea to relish the charm of life
While there is youth and the evening is fair,
For we pass away, as the wave passes:
The wave to the sea, we to the grave.
(Wikipedia)
Please take note that I do NOT own the audio OR the sheet music. Change the quality to 480p if the video is blurred.
Performance by: Rene Fleming (voice), Jean-Yves Thibaudet (piano)
(original audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzNASDPXbMw)
NB. There was an existing score video of the piece, though only the piano is played, as it was meant to be an accompaniment video. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZcX6kqFhSU)
Thibaudet on piano, Fleming on voice….❤️ heavenly!!!
Beat three dragged out so much that the piece sounds like it’s written with four beats.
Thanks for the score too!
Oh my God the feeling when you first listen to this I felt like it read my mind it struck me when I read the translation of the lyrics afterwards
Too gorgeous for words! Am also a composer of art songs set to poems. Inspired by the art songs of the late greats Schubert, Schumann, Debussy and others…lovely..merci beacoup.
eargasm
Superb! Thank you!
Any music relation to Gliere’s "Le Soir", I wonder?
Incredibly beautiful…
This is LIquid Gold!!!
So beautiful !
Beau Soir
0:04
Lorsque au soleil couchant les rivières sont roses
Et qu’un tiède frisson court sur les champs de blé,
Un conseil d’être heureux semble sortir des choses
Et monter vers le coeur troublé.
1:08
Un conseil de goûter le charme d’être au monde
Cependant qu’on est jeune et que le soir est beau,
Car nous nous en allons, comme s’en va cette onde:
Elle à la mer, nous au tombeau.
Translation for non-French speakers:
Beautiful Evening
When streams turn pink in the setting sun,
And a slight shudder rushes through the wheat fields,
A plea for happiness seems to rise out of all things
And it climbs up towards the troubled heart.
A plea to relish the charm of life
While there is youth and the evening is fair,
For we pass away, as the wave passes:
The wave to the sea, we to the grave.
P
Very slow tempo, and the singer uses a lot of portamento.
0:50
I believe the singer in this video is Renee Fleming. Some people prefer more straightforward renditions like Dame Maggie Teyte’s version. I like both versions.
its amazing that debussy is able to structure these subtle emotions in an organized matter down to paper. absolutely stunning work
Beautiful
haunting. beautiful. singing it for my college auditions next month. wish me luck.
Lorsque au soleil couchant les rivières sont roses,
Et qu’un tiède frisson court sur les champs de blé,
Un conseil d’être heureux semble sortir des choses
Et monter vers le coeur troublé.
Un conseil de goûter le charme d’être au monde
Cependant qu’on est jeune et que le soir est beau
Car nous nous en allons,
Comme s’en va cette onde:
Elle à la mer,
Nous au tombeau
"Onde" is wave, also "la onda" in Spanish.. death connects us all!!
* sigh *
Absolutely WONDERFUL