During the Second Empire (185170) the term romance soon became interchangeable with chanson and mlodie.
Mlodie was the term used for Schuberts Lieder when they were published in France.
Francesco Masini (18??-18??):
The
Bellini of the Romance
Antoine-Louis Clapisson (1808-1868):
Popular
in Victorian England. Around 1830, he began writing songs (many of which evoked
a fantasized Middle Ages, as was then fashionable) and comic chansonnettes.
Louis Niedermeyer (1802-1861)
Swiss
composer and educator. As a composer he was most successful in his secular
songs and church music. He gave new life to the song genre which was declining
in popularity. He re-established close ties between the musician and the
foremost poets of the time (Lamartine, Hugo etc.). Saint-Sans wrote that
Niedermeyer was the first to break the mould of the old-fashioned French romance, creating a new and superior genre, analogous to the
German lied. Indeed, he prepared the way for the mlodie franaise of the
next generation of songwriters, particularly Duparc, Debussy and Faur.
The sacred music Piet, Signore, which is usually attributed to Stradella, is now
thought to be Niedermeyers work.
In 1853 he opened the Ecole Niedermeyer, a French music school that specialized in the
teaching of early sacred music. Saint-Saens was a teacher and Faure was a
student.
Hippolyte Monpou (1804-1841)
Composed
around 100 songs all between 1820 and 1840. He set texts by the French Romantic
poets (Musset and Hugo)
Hector Berlioz (1803-1869):
First
French composer to consistently use the term mlodie. He composed about 50 songs.
Neuf
melodies Irlandaises, op. 2 (1829)
Translations of Thomas Moore.
Les
nuits dՃts (1841) piano and voice,
later orchestrated. 6 settings of Gautier
RECORDINGS:
M1615
B47 N8 1980 (LP)
Nuits
dEte, Jessie Norman
SCORES:
Berlioz,
Eight Songs for High Voice: selections from opp. 2, 12, 18, 19
M1620
B46 S6
Giacomo (Jakob) Meyerbeere (1791-1864)
About
40 songs (pub. 1849)
Franz Liszt (1811-1886)
Highly influenced by German Lieder.
M1620 L57 L53 2000
Liszt
Lieder, Dietrich Fischer Dieskau
SCORES
M3 .L57 1900z
Complete works collection. Several volumes are devoted
to his songs.
During the Second Empire (1851-1870), German music and art influnced French culture, but, generally, the song remained French.
Charles Gounod (1818-1893):
Composed
about 200 songs; similar in style to the strophic romances of Schubert,
Mendelssohn and Chopin. Bernac writes,
Gounod is the true originator of the French mlodie.
SCORE:
Gounod, 5 Melodie
M1620 G68 S6 1984
Cesar Franck (1822-1890)
Composed
about 15 mlodies. His songs show a heavy German influence. He is known mostly
for his organ and orchestral works. Duparc, Chausson, and dIndy were among his
students.
Panis Angelicus, popular song by Franck
La Procession (1888) voice and piano or organ
Edouard Lalo (1823-1892)
Composed
about 30 mlodies. Influenced by German styles.
Camille Saint-Sans (1835-1921)
Composed
about 50 mlodies.
Leo Delibes (1836-1891)
Georges Bizet (1838-1875)
His
mlodies do not compare in quality to his operas.
Jules Massenet
(1842-1912): Known mostly for his operas.
Composed about 200 songs.
Similar
in style to Schumann. Massenet may have been responsible for establishing the
Song-cycle in France. These songs are not spoken of highly by many critics.
Bernac: They cannot be recommended.
Poeme
dAvril (1866)
Poeme
pastorelle (1872)
Expressions
lyrique (1913)
SCORE:
Massenet, 8 Songs, high voice
M 1620 M35 S6 1976