SONGS WITHOUT WORDS

Timothy Bonenfant writes: Cécile Chaminade was born in Paris in 1857 and died in Monte Carlo in 1944. She published over 400 works in her lifetime. While there were other women who wrote a comparable amount of music, the fact that her music was published as well was a rarity for a woman of her era. Her music had fallen out of favor during the 20th century due to a combination of changing tastes and the socio-aesthetic conditions affecting women and their music. More recently, her music has been performed more often than in her final years and after WWII, with the exception of her Concertino for Flute, which has never left the standard repertoire of that instrument.
This collection features mostly transcriptions of her songs, although there are two arrangements of two pieces for either two pianos or piano four-hands. We know that two of the transcriptions were arranged by Chaminade herself, as they are listed in her works list and have opus numbers assigned to them. We know of the existence of the set from a recording by cellist Cecylia Barczyk and pianist Madeleine Stucki from 2000, “Belle Epoque: Works for Piano and Cello.” The five movements are as follows:
The first is piece Sommeil d’Enfant for voice and piano, arranged by Chaminade for cello and piano as her op. 125. It was written in the key of D, and Chaminade maintains this key for the cello version. It is dedicated a Madame Poilpot.
The second is another song, L’Anneau d’Argent from Chamninade’s Twenty Songs of 1891. While the composer originally wrote the song in the key of F, the unidentified arranger moved this version to the more cello friendly key of D. We have kept the bass clarinet arrangement to D as well.
Pastorale Enfantine, op. 12, was originally for two pianos. Ernest Alder arranged this work for violin (or flute) and piano, and this is the version that was used as the basis for the bass clarinet arrangement (with guidance from the referenced recording). The key has been moved from D for the violin arrangement to A for the cello recording, and we have kept the cello key for bass clarinet. Chaminade dedicated this work à ma nièce Antoinette Chaminade, who apparently was close enough to her aunt that she served as Chaminade’s caretaker in later life, and who attempted to promote Chaminade’s music after her death.
Movement four is La Chaise à Porteurs, the second movement from Chaminade’s Pieces Romantiques, op. 55 (1890 )for piano four-hands. We know that the composer wrote this arrangement as it is labeled as op. 55b. Both the piano four hands original and the cello arrangement are in the key of a minor. This work is dedicated a ma petite amie Jeanne Costallat.
The last work of the set, Nuit Étoilée, is another song, wriiten for Maidmoiselle Cécile Ketten. The song and the cello version share the key of D major. The arranger for this particular piece is unknown to this writer.

Piano score: 22 pages, spiral bound; part: 11 pages, booklet. Extended range instrument NOT required.

• Sommeil d’Enfant
• L’Anneau d’Argent (from Twenty Songs)
• Pastorale Enfantine Op.12
• La Chaise à Porteurs (from Pieces Romantiques Op.55)
• Nuit Étoilée

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