Settings of Paul Verlaine
Green ] (from the 11 pleut dans mon cceur > ' Ariettes Chevaux de bois J oubliees ') Clair de lune }(Fêtes galantes (Set 1))
Fantoches sung by Megan Foster (soprano)
Of all branches of musical composition the French excel in that of song. Of the many great French song composers, one of the greatest was undoubtedly Debussy. He worked at a particularly rich and productive period in poetry-when the symbolists, such as Mallarme, Baudelaire, and Verlaine were at the height of their powers. At that period of the nineteenth century French poets extolled music and French musicians extolled poetry. One of Debussy's favourite poets was Verlaine, many of whose 'musical' poems he set with rare insight and understanding of their subtleties.
Listeners will have the opportunity of hearing some of Debussy's settings of other contemporary poets in this series of recitals.