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34

Mandoline
Paul Verlaine Gabriel Faur
(1844-1896) (1845-1924)

Composed 1891 Op. 58, no. 1 of Cinq rruilodies de Venise. Dedicated to Madame Ia princesse Edmond de Polignac.
Published by Hamelle, 1891; third collection, nos. 7-11. First performance, Socidtb nationale de musique, 2 April 1892,
Florent Schmitt orchestrated "Mandoline". Faurd began composing this set in Venice, while staying at the palazzo of the
Princesse Edmond de Polignac, a great patron of contemporary music and art. The Princesse was formerly Winnaretta
Singer, the sewing-machine heiress, who hosted one of the most elegant and influential salons in Paris. She was respon-
sible for bringing Fautk and Verlaine together. "Mandoline," "En sourdine," and "A Clymkne" are from Verlaines collec-
tion of poems titled Fetes galantes; "Green" and "Cest lextase" come from his collection Romances sans paroles.
Verlaines flexible word rhythms created lyricism and fluidity in his verse, bringing hack to French poetry musical quali-
ties highly cultivated by the Renaissance poets (see Gounods "0 ma belle rebelle").

Mandoline Mandolin

Les donneurs de sCrCnades The serenaders

Et les belles couteoscs And their lovely listeners,
Echangent des propos fades Exchange trivial banter
Sous les ramures chanteuses, Under the singing boughs.

Ccst Tircis et ccst Aminte, It is Tircis and Aminre,

Er cyst ltcrnel Clitanclre, And the tiresome Clitandre,
Ft cest Darnis qui pour mainte And Damis, who for many a
Cruelle fair maint vcrs tendre. Cruel woman writes many a render verse.

Leurs courtes vestes de soie, Their short silken jackets,

Leurs longues robes a queues, Their long dresses with trains
Leur elegance, leur joie Their elegance, their merriment,
Et leurs molles orribres bleues, And their soft blue shadows,

Tourbillonnent dans lextase Whirl wildly in the rapture

Dune lune rose et grise, Of a pink and gray moon,
Et la mandoline jase And the mandolin chatters on
Parrrii les frissons de brise. Amid the shivering breeze.

Allegretto moderato ( = 84) dolce

Al,
AV
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Les don-neurs de s - r -

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leggiero

Copyright ' 2001 by HAL LEONARD CORPORATION

International Copyright Secured All Rights Reserved
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