Orchestra: 2 fl, 0b, 2 cl in B flat (I=cl in A), bass cl, 2 bn - 4 hn - perc (susp cymb) - pf, harp - str
Published in 1982. Britten later arranged this work for voice and piano (see 'Related works' above). The published vocal score is a reduction of the orchestral version, not Britten's voice and piano arrangement.
1. Nuits de juin (Victor Hugo)
Felicity Lott / SNO / Bryden Thomson. ( Chandos CHAN8657).
2. Sagesse (Paul Verlaine)
Felicity Lott / SNO / Bryden Thomson. ( Chandos CHAN8657).
3. L'enfance (Victor Hugo)
Felicity Lott / SNO / Bryden Thomson. ( Chandos CHAN8657).
4. Chanson d'automne (Paul Verlaine)
Shares some musical material with Je fais souvent ce reve (ca. Aug 1928).
Felicity Lott / SNO / Bryden Thomson. ( Chandos CHAN8657).
Quatre chansons francaises
Dedicated to Mr and Mrs Britten [Britten's Mother and Father]. Texts: 'Les nuit des Juin' by Victor Hugo, 'Sagesse' by Paul Verlaine, 'L'enfance' by Victor Hugo and 'Chanson D'Automne' by Paul Verlaine.
Text sources
Annotated printed text material
Text for L'enfance with some translations added by Britten. Book is entitled 'The Oxford Book of French Verse'.
10.3 x 16.7 cm. Hardback.
Holographs
Composition draft
Composition draft with date, title and signature. Britten has annotated the score throughout.
Pencil; 26.3 x 35.5 cm. Paper manufacturer = A L.
Fair copy
Fair copy with date (on title page and page 5r), title and signature.
Black ink; 26.4 x 35.5 cm. Paper manufacturer = A L. See Title Page of Collected Volume.
'[signature] / E.B.Britten / NUITS DE JUIN [Victor Hugo] / For Soprano Solo, and small orchestra / [performing forces listed] / June 13th-19th 1928'.
Sketch
Short sketch (one bar) marked 'Piu allegro poco a poco'. Only two of the instrumental parts contain notation.
Black ink; 26.5 x 35.4 cm. Shares a volume with other sources. See Related Records. Paper manufacturer = A L
Fair copy
Fair copy with completion date and signature at the end of each song. Britten has listed the work's performing forces and composition date [17 Jun-31 Aug 1928] on page 1v. The dates for each song are marked as follows: 'June 17th, 1928' (no. 1) 'August 4th, 1928' (no. 2), 'Aug. 26th, 1928' (no. 3), 'August 31st, 1928) (no. 4).
Black ink; 26.1 x 35.4 cm. Shares a volume with other sources. See Related Records. See Title Page of Collected Volume. Paper manufacturer = A L.
'QUATRE CHANSONS FRANCAISES / PAR / E.B.BRITTEN / POUR UNE VOIX (SOPRANO) ET ORCHESTRE / [songs listed] / DEDICATED TO MR AND MRS R.V.BRITTEN [Britten's Mother and Father] / ON THE TWENTY-SEVENTH ANIVERSARY OF THEIR / WEDDING / SEPTEMBER 5TH 1928'.
Heather Harper sop, English Chamber Orchestra, Steuart Bedford cond.
Heather Harper sop, English Chamber Orchestra, Steuart Bedford cond.
Fl, 2 cl in B flat - 3 hn in F - harp - str
Although there is no date on the manuscript source, this song was almost definitely written around the same time as the Quatre chansons françaises and was even possibly intended as the fourth song of the group. It shares the author of the text and some musical material with 'Chansons d'autumne', the actual fourth song from 'Quatre chansons'.
Arrangement of an earlier work for voice and orchestra (see 'Related works').