Germaine Tailleferre

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Germaine Tailleferre (April 19, 1892 - November 7, 1983) was a French composer and the only female member of the famous Group Les Six.

1 Biography
2 Chronological Works List
3 Notes
4 Prinicipal Source
5 Selected bibliography
6 See also
7 External links

[edit] Biography

Born Marcelle Taillefesse at Saint Maur Des Fossés, Île-de-France, France, as a young woman she changed her last name to "Tailleferre" to spite her father who had refused to support her musical studies. She studied piano with her mother at home, composing short works of her own and then began studying at the Conservatory in Paris where she met Darius Milhaud, Georges Auric and Arthur Honegger. At the Paris Conservatory she won first prize in several categories and wrote the 18 short works in the Petit livre de harpe de Madame Tardieu for Caroline Tardieu, the Conservatory’s Assistant Professor of Harp.

With her new friends, she soon was associating with the artistic crowd in Montmartre and Montparnasse including the sculptor Emmanuel Centore who would eventually marry her sister Jeanne. It was in the Montparnasse atelier of one of her painter friends where the initial idea for Les Six began. The publication of Jean Cocteau's manifest Le Coq et l'Arlequin resulted in Henri Collet's media articles that led to instant fame for the group. She was the only female member of the Groupe des Six.

The group published an album of piano pieces together (the famous "Album des Six"). Five of the members also collaborated together on the music for Cocteau's work "Les Mariés de La Tour Eiffel". Cocteau had originally proposed the project to Auric, but as Auric did not finish rapidly enough to fit into the rehearsal schedule, he then divided the work up among the other members of the Les Six. Durey, who was not in Paris at the time, did not participate. It is not correct to say that this marked "the end of the Group des Six", as Durey was present for every concert and other manifestation that marked the anniversaries of the founding of the Group. Les Six did not ever cease to exist, they simply took their own individual paths that they had announced from the beginning. The legacy of Les Six is present even today in their surviving children, spouses and associates.

In 1923, Tailleferre began to spend a great deal of time with Maurice Ravel at his home in Monfort-L'Amaury. Ravel encouraged her to enter the Prix de Rome Competition. In 1925, she married Ralph Barton, an American caricaturist, and moved to Manhattan, New York. She remained in the United States until 1927 when she and her husband returned to France. They divorced shortly thereafter.

Tailleferre wrote many of her most important works during the 1920s, including her 1st Piano Concerto, The Harp Concertino, the Ballets "Le Marchand d'Oiseaux" (the most frequently performed ballet in the repertoire of the Ballets Suédoises during the 1920s) and "La Nouvelle Cythère" which was commissioned by Diaghilev for the ill-fated 1929 season of the famous Ballets Russes, and "Sous le Ramparts d'Athènes" in Collaboration with Paul Claudel, as well as several pioneering film scores, including "B'anda" in which she used African themes.

The 1930s was even more fruitful, with the Concerto for Two Pianos, Choeurs, Saxophones and Orchestra, the Violin Concerto, The Operas "Zoulaïna" and "Le Marin de Bolivar",and her masterwork, "La Cantate de Narcisse" in collaboration with Paul Valéry. Her work in film music included "Le Petit Chose" by Maurice Cloche and a series of documentaries.

At the outbreak of World War II, she was forced to leave the majority of her scores at her home in Grasse, with the exception of her recently completed Three Etudes for Piano and Orchestra. Escaping across Spain to Portugal, she found passage on a boat that brought her to America where she lived the war years in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

After the war, in 1946, she returned to her home in France where she composed orchestral and chamber music, plus numerous other works including the ballets "Paris-Magie" (with Lise Delarme) and "Parisiana" (for the Royal Ballet of Copenhaugen), The Operas "Il était un Petit Navire" (with Henri Jeanson), "Dolores", "La Petite Sirène" (with Philip Soupault, based on Hans Christian Andersen's story "The Little Mermaid") and "Le Maître" (to a libretto by Ionesco), The Musical Comedy "Parfums", The Concerto des Vaines Paroles, for Baritone Voice, Piano and Orchestra, the Concerto for Soprano and Orchestra, the Concertino for Flute, Piano and Orchestra, the Second Piano Concerto, the Concerto for Two Guitars and Orchestra, her Second Sonata for Violin and Piano, her Sonata for Harp as well as an impressive number of film and television scores. The majority of this music was not published until after her death.

In 1976, she accepted the post of accompanist for a children's music and movement class at the École alsacienne, a private school in Paris. During the last period of her life, she concentrated mainly on smaller forms, due to increasing problems with arthritis in her hands. She nevertheless produced the Sonate Champêtre for Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, and Piano, The Sonata for Two Pianos, Choral and Variations for Two Pianos or Orchestra, a series of children's songs (on texts by Jean Tardieu) and pieces for young pianists. Her last major work was the Concerto de la Fidelité pour Coloratura Soprano and Orchestra, which was premièred at the Paris Opera the year before her death.

Germaine Tailleferre continued to compose right up until a few weeks before her death, on November 7, 1983 in Paris. She is buried in Quincy-Voisins, Seine-et-Marne, France.

[edit] Chronological Works List

This list of works includes serious concert works, film and television score and popular works. It does not include arrangements, harmonisations or transcriptions. In the interests of clarity, some works which are essentially the same works with different titles (the Concerto for Soprano and Orchestra and the Concerto de la Fidelité, for example) have been omitted.

There is a great deal of discussion amongst musicologists as to the authenticity of the various catalogs already published in the handful of biographical works devoted to Germaine Tailleferre, one of which even includes a category of "titles which were not given by the composer"^[1]. Many works included in those catalogs are missing from this list because they cannot be verified by either published scores or primary manuscript sources. In order to establish this catalog, we used three types of sources:

1. Works which are easily verifiable through either published scores, recordings, copies of film and television presentations kept in national archives and works for which concert programmes have been kept at libraries or archives.

2. The records kept at the SACEM (the French performing rights association), using both the old paper catalog and the new computerized catalog.

3. Robert Orledge's catalog of manuscript sources in Germaine Tailleferre (1892-1983) : A Centenary Appraisal" Muziek & Wetenshap 2 (Summer 1992) which he examined in Paris during September, 1991, which include complete scientific descriptions of the manuscript objects.

Other works may indeed exist, but they would have to be authenticated by the Tailleferre estate (through an examination of the source material) in order to be accepted as works by Tailleferre. For this reason and in the interests of scientific procedure, it would be preferable that other works cited in other sources not be added to this list unless primary source material is available.

1909 Impromptu for Piano
1910 Premières Prouessses for Piano 4 hands
1910 Morceau de Lecture for Harp
1912 Fantasie sur thème de G. Cassade Piano Quintettte
1913 Berceuse for Violin/Piano
1913 Romance for Piano
1913-1917 Le Petit Livre de Harpe de Mme Tardieu for Harp
1917 Jeux de Plein Air for 2 pianos
? ? Jeux de Plein Air for orchestra
1917-1919 String Quartet
1917 Calme et Sans Lenteur for Piano Trio
1918 Image for fl/cl/clt/pno/str 4tr
1918 Image for Piano 4 hands
1919 Pastorale for Piano
1920 Morceau Symphonique for Piano/Orchestra
1920 Très Vite for Piano
1920 Hommage à Debussy for Piano
1920 Ballade for Piano and Orchestra
1920 Fandango for 2 Pianos
1921 Les Mariés de la Tour Eiffel : Quadrille/Valse des Dépeches for Orchestra
1921 Première Sonate for Violin and Piano
1923 Le Marchand d'Oiseaux Ballet for Orchestra
1923 Concerto no. 1 for Piano and Orchestra
1924 Adagio for Violin and Piano
1925 Berceuse du Petit Elephant for Solo Voice/Chorus/F Horns
1925 Mon Cousin de Cayenne, incidental music for Ensemble
1925 Ban'da for Chorus and Orchestra
1927 Concertino for Harp and Orchestra
1927 Sous Le Rempart d'Athènes, incidental music for Orchestra
1928 Deux Valses for Two Pianos
1928 Pastorale en Lab for Piano
1928 Sicilienne for Piano
1928 Nocturno-Fox for two Baritone Voices and Ensemble
1929 La Nouvelle Cythère for Two Pianos or Orchestra
1929 Six Chansons Françaises for Voice and Piano
1929 Pastorale en Ut for Piano
1929 Pastorale Inca for Piano
1929 Vocalise-étude for High Voice and Piano
1930 Fleurs de France for Piano or String Orchestra
1931 Zoulaïna Opera Comique (French text by Charles Hirsch)
1932 Ouverture for Orchestra
1934 Largo for Violin and Piano
1934 La Chasse à L'Enfant for Voice and Piano (French text by Jacques Prévert)
1934 Le Chanson de L'Elephant for Voice and Piano
1934 Deux Poèmes de Lord Byron for High Voice and Piano (English text by Lord Byron)
1934 Concerto for Two Pianos, Chorus, Saxophones and Orchestra
1935 Divertissement dans le style Louis Quinze, incidental music for orchestra, including baroque instruments
1935 Les Souliers, film music
1935 Chanson de Firmin Voice and Piano, French text by Henri Jeanson
1936 Cadenzas for Mozart’s Concerto no 22 in Eb for Piano
1936 Cadenzas for Haydn’s Concerto no 15 for Piano
1937 Concerto for Violin and Orchestra
1937 Au Pavillion D'Alsace for Piano
1937 Provincia, Film score
1937 Symphonie Grapique, Film score
1937 Sur Les Routes d'Acier, Film score
1937 Terre d'effort de de liberté Film score
1937 Ces Dames aux Chapeaux verts Film score
1938 Cantate de Narcisse for Baritone Martin, Soprano, SSAA Chorus, strings and tympani
1938 Le Petit Chose Film score
1939 Prelude et Fugue for Organ, with Trumpet and Trombone, ad lib.
1940 Bretagne, Film score
1941 Les Deux Timides, Film Score
1942 Trois Etudes for Piano and Orchestra
1942 Pastorale for Violin and Piano
1943 Deux Danses du Marin de Bolivar for Piano
1946 Les Confidences d'un microphone for Piano, Radio Music
1946 Intermezzo for Two Pianos
1946 Intermezzo for Flute and Piano
1946 Coïncidences, film score
1948 Paris-Magie Ballet for Orchestra or Two pianos
1949 Quadrille, Ballet for orchestra
1949 Suite pour Orchestre « Payssages de France » for Orchestra
1949 Paris Sentimentale for voice and Piano (French text by Marthe Lacloche)
1950 Les Marchés du Sud, film music
1951 2ème Sonate for Violin and Piano
1951 Parfums, musical comedy
1951 Il Etait un Petit Navire, Opéra comique (French libretto by Henri Jeanson)
1951 Suite "Il Etait un Petit Navire" for two pianos
1951-54 La Boheme Eternale theatre music
1951(?) Chant Chinois for Piano
1951 Concerto no. 2 for Piano and Orchestra
1952 Sarabande de La Guirlande de Campra for Orchestra
1952 Seule dans la Forêt for Piano
1952 Dans La Clairière for Piano
1952 Concertino for Flute, Piano and String Orchestra
1952 Sicilienne for Flute and Two Pianos
1952 Le Roi de la Creation, film music
1952 Valse pour le Funambule for Piano
1952 Caroline au pays natal, film score
1952 Caroline au Palais, film score
1952 Conférence des Animaux, Radio Music
1953 Caroline fait du cinéma, film score
1953 Cher Vieux Paris, film score
1953 Caroline du Sud, Film score
1953 Gavarni et son temps, Television score
1953 Parisiana, Ballet for Orchestra
1953 Sonata for Harp
1953? Entre Deux Guerres, film score
1954 L'Aigle des Rues, suite for Piano
1954 Fugue for Orchestra
1954 Charlie Valse for Piano
1954 Deux Pieces for Piano
1955 Une Rouille à l'Arsenic, for Voice and Piano (French texts by Denise Centore)
1955 La Rue Chagrin for Voice and Piano
1955 Du Style Galant au Style Mechant 4 Opéras de poche
- Le Bel Ambitieux, Chamber opera
- La Fille d'Opéra, Chamber Opera
- Monsieur Petitpois Achete un Château, Chamber Opera
- La Pauvre Eugénie , Chamber Opera
1955 Ici la voix, radio music for Orchestra
1955 C'est facile à dire for voice and Piano (French Text)
1955 Dejeuner sur L'Herbe for voice and Piano (French Text by Claude Marcy)
1955 L'Enfant for voice and Piano (French Text by Claude Marcy)
1955 Il avait une Barbe Noir for voice and Piano (French Text by Claude Marcy)
1956 Concerto des Vaines Paroles for Baritone, Piano and Orchestra (French text by Jean Tardieu)
1956 L'Homme Notre Ami, Film Music
1956 Le Travail fait le Patron, Film
1957 Les Plus Beau Jours, Film Music
1957 Histoires secrète, radio score
1957 Petite Suite for Orchestra
1957 La Petite Sirène , Opera (French text by Philippe Soupault)
1957 Sonate for Solo Clarinet
1957 Adalbert, radio Score
1957 Toccata for Two Pianos
1957 Partita for Piano
1957 Tante Chinoise et les Autres, film score for solo flute
1959 Mémoires d'une Bergère, Radio Score
1959 Le Maître, chamber opera (French text by Eugène Ionesco)
1959 Pancarte pour une porte d'entrée, Voice and Piano (French texts by Robert Pinget)
1960 Temps de Pose, radio score
1960 Les Requins sur nos Cotes, film music
1960 La Rentrée des Foins, television score
1961 Les Grandes personnes (English title - Time out for Love/The Adults), film music
1962 Au Paradis avec les Anes, radio score (French text by Francis Jammes)
1962 Partita, for Oboe, clarinet, Bassoon and Strings
1963 L'Adieu du Cavalier, in memoriam Francis Poulenc for voice and Piano (French text by Guillaume Apollinaire)
1964 Sans Merveille, television score
1964? Concerto for Two guitars and Orchestra
1964 Hommage à Rameau for Two pianos and four percussion
1964 Evariste Gallois ou l'Eloge des Mathématiques, television score
1964 Sonata alla Scarlatti for Harp
1966 Anatole, television score
1969 Entonnement for ob-hrp pf str
1969 Jacasseries for fl, ob, cl cel, hp, str
1969 Amertume for fl, ob,cl, hn, hp, str
1969 Angoise for chamber orchestra
1970 Impressionnisme for Flute, Two Pianos and Double bass, film score
1972 Forlane for flute and piano
1972 Barbizon for piano
1972 Sonate Champêtre for Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon and Piano
1973 Rondo for Oboe and Piano
1973 Arabesque for Clarinet/Piano
1973 Choral for Trumpet and Piano
1973 Sonatine for Violin and Piano
1973 Gaillarde for Trumpet and Piano
1974 Sonate for Two Pianos
1974-75 Sonate for Piano 4 hands
1974-75 Symphonietta for Trumpet, Tympani and Strings
1975-1981 Enfantines for Piano
1975 Singeries for Piano
1975 Escarpolète for Piano
1975 Menuet for Oboe (Clarinet or Saxophone) and Piano
1975 Allegretto for Three Clarinets (three trumpets or Three Saxophones) and Piano
1975 Piement des Pyrenées Françaises Film music
1975-78 Trois Sonatines for Piano
1976 Marche for Concert Band (orch. Dondeyne)
1976 Choral et Fugue for Concert Band (orch. Wehage)
1976-77 Sérénade en La mineur for four winds and Piano or Harpsichord
1977 Nocturne for Organ
1977 Aube for Soprano solo/SATB chorus /piano
1977 Trois Chansons de Jean Tardieu for voice and piano (French text by Jean Tardieu)
1977 Un Bateau en Chocolat for voice and Piano (French text by Jean Tardieu) voix/pno
1977 Suite Divertimento for Piano or concert Band
1978 Trio for Violin, Violoncello and Piano
1979 Choral et Variations for Two Pianos or Orchestra
1979 Choral et Deux Variations for Woodwind or Brass Quintet
1979 Menuet en Fa for Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon and Piano
1979 Sarabande for Two Instruments or Piano
1980 Suite Burlesque for Piano 4 hands
1981 Concerto de la Fidelité for high voice and Orchestra
1982 20 lécons de Solfege, voice and Piano
???? Guitare for Solo Guitar

[edit] Notes

^ Georges Hacquard "Germaine Tailleferre : La Dame des Six" (L'Harmattan 1997) p 252

[edit] Prinicipal Source

Germaine Tailleferre's page at Musik Fabrik Music Publishing

[edit] Selected bibliography

Janelle Gelfand "Germaine Tailleferre (1892-1983) Piano and Chamber works", Doctoral Dissertation, 1999 University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music
Laura Mitgang "Germaine Tailleferre : Before, During and After Les Six" in The Musical Woman, Vol. 11 Judith Lang Zaimont, editor (Greenwood Press 1987)
Caroline Potter/Robert Orledge : Germaine Tailleferre (1892-1983) : A Centenary Appraisal" Muziek & Wetenshap 2 (Summer 1992) pp. 109-130
Robert Shapiro "Germaine Tailleferre : a bio-Bibliography" (Greenwood Press 1994)