''La Chanson du mal-aimé'' (English: ''Song of the Poorly Loved'') is an oratorio composed by

Léo Ferré Léo Ferré (24 August 1916 – 14 July 1993) was a French-born Monégasque poet and composer, and a dynamic and controversial live performer, whose career in France dominated the years after the Second World War until his death. He released s ...

in 1952–53 on Guillaume Apollinaire's eponymous poem. This piece for four soloist singers, choir and orchestra is an example of an oratorio that is not based on a religious subject. It was created on stage in the Opéra de Monte-Carlo ( Monaco), on 29 April 1954, then was recorded and released on an LP for the first time in 1957. Ferré recorded an alternate version in 1972, wherein he sang all by himself (and slightly changed the orchestration), instead of using any classical singers.

Background

Analysis

The poem

The music

Roles

* The Poorly Loved (baryton) * The Woman (soprano) * The Angel (soprano) * The Double (baryton)

Instrumentation

Performance and reception

Recordings

, Orchestre national et chœurs de l'Opéra de Monte-Carlo, Bernard Demigny (the Poor-Loved), Nadine Sautereau (the Woman), Jacques Douai (the Angel), Henri B. Etcheverry (the Double). Live at Opéra de Monte-Carlo, 1954 (La Mémoire et la Mer, 2006) * Léo Ferré,

Orchestre national de la Radiodiffusion française The Orchestre national de France (ONF; literal translation, ''National Orchestra of France'') is a French symphony orchestra based in Paris, founded in 1934. Placed under the administration of the French national radio (named Radio France since ...

and Raymond Saint-Paul Choir,

Camille Maurane Camille Maurane (November 29, 1911 – January 21, 2010), born Camille Moreau, was a French baryton-martin singer. His father was a music teacher and he started singing as a child in the Maîtrise Saint-Evode in Rouen. The sudden death of his moth ...

(the Poor-Loved), Michel Roux (the Double), Nadine Sautereau (the Woman), Jacques Petitjean (the Angel), 1957 ( Odeon Records) * Léo Ferré, Orchestre Lamoureux, Janine de Waleyne (soprano), 1972 ( Barclay Records) *

Dag Achatz Dag Achatz is a Swedish pianist and composer. Born in Stockholm in 1942 of a Swedish mother and a Viennese father, both musicians, he was raised in Switzerland, where he entered the Geneva Conservatory at age of 8. Graduating with honors, he con ...

(piano), Léo Ferré, Janine de Waleyne. Live at the

Opéra-Comique The Opéra-Comique is a Paris opera company which was founded around 1714 by some of the popular theatres of the Parisian fairs. In 1762 the company was merged with – and for a time took the name of – its chief rival, the Comédie-Italienne ...

of Paris, 1974 (unreleased) * Léo Ferré, Pasdeloup Orchestra, Janine de Waleyne, Ensemble vocal Alborada, Olympos Choir, Ensemble vocal Raphaël Passaquet. Live at the Palais des congrès de Paris, 1975 (unreleased) * Gianluigi Gelmetti, Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra, Laurent Deleuil (the Poor-Loved),

Jean-Luc Chaignaud Jean-Luc Chaignaud (born 3 August 1959) is a French soloist baritone, singer of operas, lieder and oratorio. Biography Born in Pantin, Chaignaud studied singing with Régine Crespin and Gabriel Bacquier at the Conservatoire de Paris, then enter ...

(the Double), Alessandro Luciano (the Angel), Danielle Streiff and Katarzyna Medlarska (the Woman), 2014 (OPMC Classics)

References

External links

One excerpt from the oratorio (1972 version)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chanson Du Mal Aime, La Oratorios 1953 compositions Léo Ferré albums French-language albums Barclay (record label) albums 1957 albums 1972 albums