''La Damoiselle élue'' (''

The Blessed Damozel "The Blessed Damozel" is perhaps the best known poem by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, as well as the title of his painting (and its replica) illustrating the subject. The poem was first published in 1850 in the Pre-Raphaelite journal '' The Germ''. Ro ...

''), L. 62, is a

cantata A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir. The meaning of ...

for soprano soloist, 2-part children's choir, 2-part female (contralto) choir (with contralto solo), and orchestra, composed by

Claude Debussy (Achille) Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influential composers of the ...

in 1887–1888 based on a text by Dante Gabriel Rossetti. It premiered in Paris in 1893.

History

was interested in the

symbolist Symbolism was a late 19th-century art movement of French and Belgian origin in poetry and other arts seeking to represent absolute truths symbolically through language and metaphorical images, mainly as a reaction against naturalism and realis ...

movement and later took inspiration from a poem by

Stéphane Mallarmé Stéphane Mallarmé ( , ; 18 March 1842 – 9 September 1898), pen name of Étienne Mallarmé, was a French poet and critic. He was a major French symbolist poet, and his work anticipated and inspired several revolutionary artistic schools of ...

for his '' Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune'' (1894). Reading an anthology of English poetry translated by Gabriel Sarrazin, "Poètes modernes d’Angleterre" (1883) gave Debussy the idea of composing a cantata on the poem "

" (1850) by

Pre-Raphaelite The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (later known as the Pre-Raphaelites) was a group of English painters, poets, and art critics, founded in 1848 by William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, William Michael Rossetti, James ...

poet and painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti.Caroline Rae
La Damoiselle élue, Claude Debussy
website of the

London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) is one of five permanent symphony orchestras based in London. It was founded by the conductors Sir Thomas Beecham and Malcolm Sargent in 1932 as a rival to the existing London Symphony and BBC Symphony ...

, accessdate 13 June 2016. Debussy had probably not seen Rossetti's painting of the same title, but other pre-Raphaelite illustrations with a focus on "a new type of feminine beauty". He completed the piece in 1888. In a letter to

André Poniatowski Prince Louis Léopold Charles Marie André Poniatowski (24 January 1864 – 8 March 1954), was a Polish nobleman, member of the House of Poniatowski who became a prominent French financier and industrialist. Early life Prince Poniatowski was born ...

dated 9 September 1892, he confided that he had wanted to compose "a little oratorio in a little pagan mystical note". Anne Penesco, ''Itinéraires de la musique française: théorie, pédagogie et création'', Presses Universitaires de Lyon, 1996, p. 192. The work is dedicated to composer Paul Dukas. Debussy sent his music score to the Académie des beaux-arts as an entry for the Prix de Rome.La Damoiselle élue. FL 69
website of the

bibliothèque nationale de France The Bibliothèque nationale de France (, 'National Library of France'; BnF) is the national library of France, located in Paris on two main sites known respectively as ''Richelieu'' and ''François-Mitterrand''. It is the national repository ...

It was published in 1892. Debussy revised his

orchestration Orchestration is the study or practice of writing music for an orchestra (or, more loosely, for any musical ensemble, such as a concert band) or of adapting music composed for another medium for an orchestra. Also called "instrumentation", orc ...

for the piece in 1902, and in 1906 made a piano reduction of the orchestral part. ''La Damoiselle élue'' belongs to the same period of composition as the ''

Cinq poèmes de Charles Baudelaire The ''Cinq poèmes de Charles Baudelaire'' ( L 64) constitute a song cycle for voice and piano by Claude Debussy, on poems taken from ''Les Fleurs du mal'' by Charles Baudelaire. Composed from December 1887 to March 1889, these five highly deve ...

'', when Debussy was influenced by the music of

Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...

. The composer chose to distance himself from this musical influence, while remaining faithful to symbolist literature, when composing his opera '' Pelléas et Mélisande'' in the 1890s. Patterns such as fleur-de-lys returned to his stage music for '' Le Martyre de saint Sébastien'' (1910–1911). ''La Damoiselle élue'' premiered in Paris at the Salle Érard on 8 April 1893, sponsored by the

Société Nationale de Musique Lactalis is a French multinational dairy products corporation, owned by the Besnier family and based in Laval, Mayenne, France. The company's former name was Besnier SA. Lactalis is the largest dairy products group in the world, and is the sec ...

, sung by Julia Robert and Thérèse Roger, and conducted by

Jean Gabriel-Marie Jean Gabriel Prosper Marie (8 January 1852 – 29 August 1928) was a French romantic composer and conductor. Biography Gabriel-Marie was born in Paris, France on 8 January 1852. He studied at the Conservatoire de Paris and held a prominent posit ...

. It was the first of Debussy's works for orchestra to be performed. The premiere was a success, and music critic Pierre Lalo wrote in ''

Le Temps ''Le Temps'' (literally "The Time") is a Swiss French-language daily newspaper published in Berliner format in Geneva by Le Temps SA. It is the sole nationwide French-language non-specialised daily newspaper of Switzerland. Since 2021, it has b ...

'': "Such are the grace and delicacy of his taste that all his audacities are welcome" ("telles sont la grâce et la délicatesse de son goût que toutes ses audaces sont heureuses"). Some critics, however, reproached the work as being "very sensual and decadent" ("très sensuelle et décadente").

Synopsis

''La Damoiselle élue s’appuyait sur la barrière d’or du ciel'' (La Damoiselle élue leaned on the golden barrier of heaven). ''Du haut du paradis, une jeune fille se lamente sur l'absence de son amant. Sur Terre, ce dernier croit sentir sa présence'' (From the heights of paradise, a young girl laments the absence of her lover. On Earth, the latter believes he feels her presence). The performance lasts some twenty minutes.

Bibliography

* Richard Langham Smith, "La Genèse de ''La Damoiselle élue''", ''Cahiers Debussy'', 1980–1981, No 4-5.

Discography

Bidu Sayão Balduína "Bidú" de Oliveira Sayão (11 May 1902 – 12 March 1999) was a Brazilian opera soprano. One of Brazil's most famous musicians, Sayão was a leading artist of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City from 1937 to 1952. Life and career ...

and Rosalind Nadell, with the

Philadelphia Orchestra The Philadelphia Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. One of the " Big Five" American orchestras, the orchestra is based at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, where it performs its subscription ...

conducted by Eugene Ormandy, 1942 (Columbia). * Madeleine Gorge and Jacqueline Joly, with the

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 ...

conducted by Désiré-Émile Inghelbrecht, 1950. *

Victoria de los Ángeles Victoria de los Ángeles López García (1 November 192315 January 2005) was a Catalan Spanish operatic lyric soprano and recitalist whose career began after the Second World War and reached its height in the years from the mid-1950s to the mid- ...

and Carol Smith, with the

Boston Symphony Orchestra The Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the second-oldest of the five major American symphony orchestras commonly referred to as the " Big Five". Founded by Henry Lee Higginson in 1881, ...

conducted by Charles Munch, 1955 (RCA Victor). *

Suzanne Danco Suzanne Danco (22 January 191110 August 2000), was a Belgian international soprano whose career encompassed the opera stages of Europe from Mozart to 20th century roles, recitals, recordings of opera and songs, and later teaching.Shawe-Taylor, D ...

and Jeanne Deroubaix, with the

Choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which ...

and the WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne conducted by

Marcel Couraud Marcel Just Théodore Marie Couraud (20 October 1912 in Limoges – 14 September 1986 in Loches) was a French orchestral and choral conductor and organist. Biography Couraud studied organ with André Marchal in Paris where he attended the Ecole N ...

, 1957. * Barbara Hendricks and

Jocelyne Taillon Jocelyne Taillon (19 May 1941 in Doudeville – 10 June 2004 in Rouen) was a French lyrical singer. Life and career Taillon won the first prize at the 1966 Monte Carlo Singing Competition and embarked on a career as a concert artist.Alain Pâri ...

, with the Orchestre de Paris conducted by

Daniel Barenboim Daniel Barenboim (; in he, דניאל בארנבוים, born 15 November 1942) is an Argentine-born classical pianist and conductor based in Berlin. He has been since 1992 General Music Director of the Berlin State Opera and "Staatskapellmeist ...

, 1980 (Deutsche Grammophon). * Elly Ameling and Janice Taylor, with the

San Francisco Symphony The San Francisco Symphony (SFS), founded in 1911, is an American orchestra based in San Francisco, California. Since 1980 the orchestra has been resident at the Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall in the city's Hayes Valley neighborhood. The San Fr ...

conducted by

Edo de Waart Edo de Waart (born 1 June 1941, Amsterdam) is a Dutch conductor. He is Music Director Laureate of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. De Waart is the former chief conductor of the Royal Flemish Philharmonic (2011-2016), Artistic Partner with the S ...

, 1981 (Philips). * Ileana Cotrubas and Glenda Maurice, with the

Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra The Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra (German: ''Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart des SWR'') was a German radio orchestra based in Stuttgart in Germany. History The ensemble was founded in 1945 by American occupation authorities as the orchest ...

conducted by

Gary Bertini Gary Bertini ( he, גארי ברתיני, May 1, 1927 – March 17, 2005) was one of the most important Israeli musicians and conductors. In 1978 he was awarded the Israel Prize for Music. Biography Gary Bertini was born ''Shloyme Golergant'' in ...

, 1982 (Orfeo). *

Frederica von Stade Frederica von Stade OAL (born June 1, 1945) is a semi-retired American opera singer. Since her Metropolitan Opera debut in 1970, she has performed in operas, musicals, concerts and recitals in venues throughout the world, including La Scala, th ...

and Susanne Mentzer, with the

conducted by

Seiji Ozawa Seiji (written: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , or in hiragana) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese ski jumper *, Japanese racing driver *, Japanese politician *, Japanese film directo ...

, 1984 (Columbia). * Maria Ewing and

Brigitte Balleys Brigitte Balleys (born 18 June 1959) is a Swiss mezzo-soprano in opera and concert. Biography Born in the canton of Vaud, Brigitte Balleys studied at Sion, then at the Conservatory of Bern where she graduated from the singing class of Jakob Stä ...

, with the

London Symphonic Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's orchestras, symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's ...

conducted by Claudio Abbado, 1987 (Deutsche Grammophon). * Dawn Upshaw and Paula Rasmussen, with the

Los Angeles Philharmonic The Los Angeles Philharmonic, commonly referred to as the LA Phil, is an American orchestra based in Los Angeles, California. It has a regular season of concerts from October through June at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, and a summer season at th ...

conducted by

Esa-Pekka Salonen Esa-Pekka Salonen (; born 30 June 1958) is a Finnish orchestral conductor and composer. He is principal conductor and artistic advisor of the Philharmonia Orchestra in London, conductor laureate of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and music di ...

, 1994 (Sony). *

Mireille Delunsch Mireille Delunsch (born 2 November 1962) is a French soprano. She was born in Mulhouse, and studied musicology and voice at the Conservatoire de Strasbourg. Her debut was at the Opéra national du Rhin in Mulhouse, in Mussorgsky's '' Boris Godun ...

and Sylvie Sullé, with the Orchestre national de Lille conducted by

Jean-Claude Casadesus Jean-Claude Probst (born 7 December 1935), known professional as Jean-Claude Casadesus, is a French conductor. Biography Casadesus was born in Paris on 7 December 1935, the son of actress Gisèle Casadesus and her husband Lucien Pascal. He beg ...

, 1995 (Harmonia mundi).Interview avec Mireille Delunsch / Discographie
(in French) odb-opera.com

References

External links

Partition chant et piano
on the site of the bibliothèque nationale
''La Damoiselle élue''
on La Revue Musicale, Volume 3, Number 1, January 1903 PDF

''La Damoiselle élue''
on Discogs
Claude Debussy – ''La damoiselle élue''
on YouTube
Debussy (L') Enfant Prodigue; (La) Damoiselle Elue

Gramophone A phonograph, in its later forms also called a gramophone (as a trademark since 1887, as a generic name in the UK since 1910) or since the 1940s called a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogu ...

Showing all editions for 'La damoiselle élue'

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Damoiselle elue Compositions by Claude Debussy

Debussy (Achille) Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influential composers of the ...

Musical settings of poems by Dante Gabriel Rossetti