View source for Six French Songs, Op. 65

Tchaikovsky's '''''Six French Songs''''' (Six Mélodies) for voice and piano, [[Op.]] 65 ([[TH]] 108 ; [[ČW]] 252-257), were completed in October 1888. 

==Instrumentation==
For medium voice (Nos. 1, 3, 4, 5, 6) or low voice (No. 2), with piano accompaniment.

==Movements and Duration==
# '''Sérénade: Où vas-tu, souffle d'aurore'''<br/>Allegro quasi Andantino (F major, 74 bars).
# '''Déception'''<br/>Moderato (E minor, 89 bars).
# '''Sérénade: J'aime dans le rayon'''<br/>Andante non troppo (B-flat major, 98 bars).
# '''Qu'importe que l'hiver'''<br/>Allegro vivo e molto rubato (D minor, 101 bars).
# '''Les larmes'''<br/>Andante doloroso (G major, 49 bars).
# '''Rondel'''<br/>Allegretto grazioso (G major, 60 bars).
A complete performance of the set lasts around 15 to 20 minutes.

==Texts==
Tchaikovsky selected poems by three different French authors.

1. [[Édouard Turquety]] (1807–1867), from his poem ''Aurore'' in the collection ''Amour et Foi'' (by 1833):
{{libtext
|Original text=
<poem>
Où vas-tu, souffle d'aurore,
Vent de miel qui vient d'éclore,
Fraîche haleine d'un beau jour, d'un beau jour?
Où vas-tu, brise inconstante,
Quand la feuille palpitante
Semble frissonner d'amour?

Est-ce au fond de la vallée,
Dans la cime échevelée
D'un saule où le ramier dort, le ramier dort?
Poursuis-tu la fleur vermeille,
Ou le papillon qu'éveille
Un matin de flamme et d'or?

Va plutôt, souffle d'aurore,
Bercer l'âme que j'adore ;
Porte à son lit embaumé
L'odeur des bois et des mousses,
Et quelques paroles douces
Comme les roses de mai.

L'odeur des bois et des mousses,
Et quelques paroles douces
Comme les roses de mai.
</poem>

|Translated text=
}}

2. [[Paul Collin]] (1843–1915), from his poem of the same name in the cycle ''Mélodies'' (by 1878):
{{libtext
|Original text=
Le soleil rayonnait encore.
J'ai voulu revoir les grands bois,
Où nous promenions autrefois
Notre amour à sa belle aurore.

Je mi disais: "Sur le chemin,
Je la retrouverai, sans doute:
Ma main se tendra vers sa main,
Et nous nous remettrons en route."

Je regarde partout. En vain! 
J'appelle! Et l'écho seul m'écoute!

O le pauvre soleil pâli!
O les pauvres bois sans ramage!
O, mon pauvre amour, quel dommage! 
Si vite perdu dans l'oubli!

|Translated text=
}}

3. [[Paul Collin]], from his poem ''Sérénade'' in the cycle ''Mélodies'' (by 1878):
{{libtext
|Original text=
<poem>
J'aime dans le rayon de la limpide aurore
  Le reflet de tes jolis yeux,
Dans le chant matinal de l'oiseau j'aime encore
  L'écho de ton rire joyeux.

Dans le calme des lys j'aime ta paix séreine,
  Dans leur pureté, ta blancheur;
J'aime dans le parfum des roses ton haleine
  Et dans leur fraîcheur, ta fraîcheur.

Dans la merque le flux ou le reflux agite
  J'aime tes caprices d'enfant,
Et j'aime les soupirs de ton sein qui palpite
  Dans les longues plaintes du vent.

J'aime la fière ardeur dont ton coeur sent la flamme
  Dans l'éclat du soleil qui luit;
Et j'aime les pudeurs charmantes de ton âme
  Dans l'ombre chaste de la nuit.

J'aime, dans le printeps qui verdit, la folie
  De ta jeunesse et ses espoirs;
Et j'aime la douceur de ta mélancolie
  Dans le vague déclin des soirs,
  Dans le vague déclin des soirs!
</poem>

|Translated text=
}}

4. [[Paul Collin]], from the untitled fourth poem in his cycle ''Poëme d'Octobre'' (by 1878):
{{libtext
|Original text=
<poem>
Qu'importe que l'hiver éteigne les clartés
Du soleil assombri dans les cieux attristés?
  Je sais bien où trouver encore
  Les brillants rayons d'une aurore
  Plus belle que celle des cieux.
    Toi que j'adore,
    C'est dans tes yeux!

Qu'importe que l'hiver ait des printemps défunts
Dispersé sans pitié les enivrants parfums?
  Je sais où trouver, non flétrie,
  Malgré les bises en furie,
  Une rose encor tout en fleur.
    Ô ma chérie, 
    C'est dans ton coeur!

Ce rayon qui, bravant les ombres de la nuit,
Toujours splendide et pur luit au fond de tes yeux;
  Cette fleur toujours parfumée
  Qui dans ton coeur est enfermée
  Et qui sait survivre à l'été.
    Ma bien aimée,
    C'est la beauté!
</poem>

|Translated text=
}}

5. [[Augustine-Malvina Blanchecotte]] (1830-1897) <ref name="note1"/>, from her poem of the same name (by 1874):
{{libtext
|Original text=
<poem>
Si vous donnez le calme après tant de secousses,
Si vous courez d'oubli tant de maux dérobés,
Si vous lavez ma plaie et si vous êtes douces,
  O mes larmes, tombez! tombez!

Mais, si comme autrefois vous êtes meurtrières,
Si vous rongez un coeur qui déjà brûle en soi,
N'ajoutez pas au mal, respectez mes paupières:
  O larmes, laissez moi, laissez moi!

Oui, laissez moi! je sens ma peine plus cuisante,
Vous avez evoqué tous mes rêves perdus:
Pitié! pitié! pitié!
laissez mourir mon âme agonisante!
  Larmes, ne tombez pas! ne tombez pas!
  Non! non! ne tombez pas!
</poem>

|Translated text=
}}

6. [[Paul Collin]], from his poem of the same name in the cycle ''Mélodies'' (by 1878):
{{libtext
|Original text=
<poem>
Il se cache dans ta grâce
Un doux ensorcellement.
Pour leur joie et leur tourment
Sur les coeurs tu fais main basse.

Tous sont pris. Nul ne se lasse
De ce servage charmant.
Il se cache dans ta grâce
Un doux ensorcellement.

C'est l'affaire d'un moment,
Ton regard qui sur nous passe
Est le filet qui ramasse
Nos âmes; dieu sait comment!
Il se cache dans ta grâce
Un doux ensorcellement.
</poem>

|Translated text=
}}

The composer's sketches show that he also considered, but ultimately rejected, six other poems by [[Paul Collin]] – ''Prière'', ''Rondel à Madame I. Triery'', ''Rondel d'automne'', ''À la mémoire de Madame Marie ***'', ''Lamento'', and ''Mai'', as well as the poem ''Elle est malade'' to words by Jean Reboul (1786–1864) <ref name="note2"/>.

==Composition==
The idea for the songs arose from Tchaikovsky's meeting with [[Désirée Artôt]] in [[Berlin]] during his conducting tour of western Europe. Tchaikovsky met with her for the first time in twenty years on 23 January/4 February 1888 <ref name="note3"/>. On 26 January/7 February, the composer spent an evening with [[Désirée Artôt]] <ref name="note4"/>, during which she asked him to write a romance for her.

The origins of the French songs' composition can be inferred from Tchaikovsky's correspondence with [[Artôt]]. The latter wrote on 2/14 April 1888: "I am impatiently awaiting my ''Lied'', which you promised me. I need not tell you that, allowing for my voice, I shall put all my soul into it" <ref name="note5"/>. Tchaikovsky replied on 16/28 May: "Do not take it as a mere compliment if I tell you that the memory of our wonderful evening at 17 Landgrafstraße will literally be forever imprinted on my mind ... Of course I will write the ''Lied'' you honoured me by requesting. But permit me to do it a little later, since at the moment I have a large work on my hands, and I want to write something worthy of you, which I cannot do until this task is completed. The ''Lied'' will be ready no later than August" <ref name="note6"/>. In a letter from [[Désirée Artôt]] to Tchaikovsky we read: "I want to reassure you regarding the ''Lied'', which I asked you for... that there is no need to hurry. If one day you write some ''Lieder'' and think that I could perform one of them well, then just think of dedicating it to me—that's all I would like" <ref name="note7"/>.

During the summer, the composer's time was taken up with various works, and the last of these–the overture-fantasia ''[[Hamlet (overture-fantasia)|Hamlet]]''—was completed on 7/19 October. The next day Tchaikovsky wrote to his cousin [[Anna Merkling]]: "Now... all my main works are already finished and only trifles remain, which should be done by the end of the month" <ref name="note8"/>. According to a note on the fair copy of the manuscript, the songs were finished on 10/22 October 1888.

==Performances==
Tchaikovsky's "''mélodies''" were intended to be performed in the Parisian musical salons of his time. On 15/27 February 1890, [[Désirée Artôt]] sang some of the songs at a private musical soirée in the home of the publisher Alfred Noël <ref name="note18"/>.   The dedicatee's words about the increasing popularity of Tchaikovsky's Op. 65 (see below) can be confirmed by a number of public performances in [[Paris]]. On 5 April 1891 {{NS}}, Pierre-Emile Engel interpreted ''Déception'' (No. 2) and ''Qu'importe que l'hiver'' (No. 4) on the large concert stage in the Châtelet <ref name="note19"/>.  ''Déception'' was also included in some concerts by local singers:  25 February/9 March 1894 (Henriette B. de Wyganowsky), 15/27 May 1894 by a student of Madame Edouard Lyon, and 15/27 March 1896 (Jenny Pirodon) <ref name="note20"/>.  Supposedly this was representative of a much wider reception in French salons. 

==Publication==
Tchaikovsky wrote the songs to the original French texts, and soon after their completion he sent them to [[Pyotr Jurgenson]], with the note: "Partly in view of the speed with which I wrote these romances and their small size, but chiefly because you will have to pay for a translation, I've decided that I don't want more than 300 rubles from you" <ref name="note9"/>. In the same letter, the composer asked for a copy of the songs to be given to the singer [[Yelizaveta Lavrovskaya]], at her request.

For the first edition, [[Jurgenson]] commissioned Russian translations from Aleksandra Santagano-Gorchakova (1842–1913), and Tchaikovsky later made some changes to her Russian translations of ''Décéption'' (No. 2) and ''Sérénade'' (No. 3) <ref name="note10"/>. 

The first edition of the songs was slightly delayed. On 9/21 March 1889, [[Pyotr Jurgenson]] reported that he was sending out the proofs <ref name="note11"/>. The French songs were not issued until the spring–probably in April or May 1889 <ref name="note12"/>. Around the same time they were printed by [[Daniel Rahter]] in [[Hamburg]] <ref name="note13"/>.

In France, ''Rondel'' (No. 6) was also published in the supplement of the ''Journal du dimanche''. After Tchaikovsky's death, the journal ''Les Annales politiques et littéraires'' included the song ''Déception'' (No. 2) to commemorate the composer in its issue of 19 November 1893 {{NS}}  <ref name="note21"/>.  

The Six French Songs, Op. 65, were published in volume 45 of Tchaikovsky's ''[[Complete Collected Works]]'' (1940), edited by Ivan Shishov and Nikolay Shemanin.

==Autographs==
Tchaikovsky's manuscript scores of all six songs are now preserved in the {{RUS-Mcm}} in [[Moscow]] {{TOW2|shest-romansov-six-melodies|(ф. 88, No. 146)}}.

==Recordings==
{{reclink}}

==Dedications==
On 17/29 October 1888, Tchaikovsky wrote to [[Désirée Artôt]]: "I have just delivered to my publisher, [[P. Jurgenson]], ''6 mélodies'' which I have written for you, and for which I ask you to consent to accept the dedication. I have tried to please you and I think you could sing all of them–in other words, all six will suit the present range of your voice. I would very much hope that these melodies will please you, but unfortunately, I am not at all sure. I must confess to you that I have been working too much of late, and it is more than probable that my new compositions are rather the product of ''good intentions'' than of true inspiration. And then, one is a little intimidated when one is composing for a singer one considers the greatest among the great" <ref name="note14"/>.

[[Désirée Artôt]] replied: "I wished for only one ''Lied'', but you have so generously written six for me. They say "as generous as a king", but they have forgotten to add "or as an ''artist''". Naturally I am very curious to make this new acquaintance, but I do not want to cause you additional work, so I will wait until [[Jurgenson]] has published them. But then ask him to send them to me as soon as possible. I will not thank you, but you can be sure of my happiness that you have so quickly and finely fulfilled your promise. I only hope that my talents are worthy of your inspiration" <ref name="note15"/>.

When [[Artôt]] received the set in August 1889 she wrote to Tchaikovsky: "At last, dear friend, your ''Lieder'' are in my hands, waiting to be transferred to my voice. Indeed, 4, 5 and 6 are superb, while the first ''Sérénade'' is adorable and has a charming freshness. ''La Décéption'' also pleases me enormously. In short, I am in love with your new offspring, and so proud that you have created them with me in mind. One of my students here is already learning them, and many of others are making ready to perform them in September and October" <ref name="note16"/>. "I am falling more and more in love with your last six ''Lieder'' which, as I expected, are becoming very popular" <ref name="note17"/>.

==External Links==
* {{imslpscore|6_French_Songs,_Op.65_(Tchaikovsky,_Pyotr)|6 French Songs}}

==Notes and References==
<references>
<ref name="note1">Misattributed to [[Paul Collin]] on the autograph score.</ref> 
<ref name="note2">Short musical sketches exist for ''Lamento'', ''Mai'' and ''Elle est malade''. See [[TH]] 229 and [[ČW]] 503-509.</ref>
<ref name="note3">See the composer's diary — {{bib|1923/23|Дневники П. И. Чайковского}} (1923), p. 194 — and also [[Letter 3484]] to [[Modest Tchaikovsky]], 23 January/4 February 1888.</ref> 
<ref name="note4">See diary entry for 26 January/7 February 1888 — {{bib|1923/23|Дневники П. И. Чайковского}} (1923), p. 195.</ref> 
<ref name="note5">Letter from [[Désirée Artôt-Padilla]] to Tchaikovsky, 2/14 April 1888 — [[Klin]] House-Museum Archive.</ref> 
<ref name="note6">[[Letter 3569]] to [[Désirée Artôt-Padilla]], 16/28 May 1888. The "large work" referred to was the [[Symphony No. 5]].</ref> 
<ref name="note7">Letter from [[Désirée Artôt-Padilla]] to Tchaikovsky, 21 May/2 June 1888 — [[Klin]] House-Museum Archive.</ref> 
<ref name="note8">[[Letter 3691]] to [[Anna Merkling]], 8/20 October 1888.</ref> 
<ref name="note9">[[Letter 3699]] to [[Pyotr Jurgenson]], 16/28 October 1888.</ref> 
<ref name="note10">See letter from [[Pyotr Jurgenson]] to Tchaikovsky, 17/29 October 1888 — [[Klin]] House-Museum Archive.</ref> 
<ref name="note11">See [[Letter 3754]], 4/16 January 1889, [[Letter 3771]], 18/30 January 1889, and [[Letter 3813]], 4/16 March 1889, all to [[Pyotr Jurgenson]]; also [[Jurgenson]]'s letters to Tchaikovsky of 21 January/2 February and 28 February/12 March 1889.</ref> 
<ref name="note12">Passed by the censor on 11 February 1889.</ref> 
<ref name="note13">See letter from [[Pyotr Jurgenson]] to Tchaikovsky, 12/24 August 1889 — [[Klin]] House-Museum Archive — and Tchaikovsky's reply in [[Letter 3921]] to [[Pyotr Jurgenson]], 13/25 August 1889.</ref> 
<ref name="note14">[[Letter 3700]] to [[Désirée Artôt-Padilla]], 16/28 October 1888.</ref> 
<ref name="note15">Letter from [[Désirée Artôt-Padilla]] to Tchaikovsky, 27 October/8 November 1888 — [[Klin]] House-Museum Archive.</ref> 
<ref name="note16">Letter from [[Désirée Artôt-Padilla]] to Tchaikovsky, 9/21 August 1889.</ref> 
<ref name="note17">Letter from [[Désirée Artôt-Padilla]] to Tchaikovsky, 24 February/8 March 1890.</ref> 
<ref name="note18">See [[Letter 4041]] to [[Mariya Klimentova-Muromtseva]], 19 February/3 March 1890.</ref>
<ref name="note19">See Lucinde Braun, {{bib|2014/3|La Terre promise. Frankreich im Leben und Schaffen Cajkovskijs}} (2014), p. 253-254.</ref>
<ref name="note20">See Inga Mai Groote, ''Östliche Ouvertüren. Russische Musik in Paris 1870-1913'' (Kassel : Bärenreiter, 2014), p. 355, 357, 360.</ref>
<ref name="note21">See Lucinde Braun, {{bib|2014/3|La Terre promise. Frankreich im Leben und Schaffen Cajkovskijs}} (2014), p. 254.</ref>
</references>
[[Category:Songs|French Songs, Op. 65]]