Un grand sommeil noir

Un grand sommeil noir
Tombe sur ma vie:
Dormez, tout espoir,
Dormez, toute envie!

Je ne vois plus rien,
Je perds la mémoire
Du mal et du bien...
O la triste histoire!

Je suis un berceau
Qu'une main balance
Au creux d'un caveau:
Silence, silence!

by Paul Verlaine (1844-1896) , no title, from Sagesse, in Sagesse III, no. 5, published 1880

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

by Georges Antoine (1892-1918) , "Un grand sommeil noir"
by Pierre Chépélov (1979-) , "Un grand sommeil noir", 2005, from Zweisprachstück, no. 1.
by Arthur Honegger (1892-1955) , no title, H. 184 no. 3 (1944), published 1947, from Quatre chansons pour voix grave, no. 3.
by André Jolivet (1905-1974) , "Un grand sommeil noir"
by Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) , "Un grand sommeil noir"
by Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) , "La bonne chanson", op. 9 no. 2 (1910), orchestrated 1951, from Dva stikhotvorenija Verlena, no. 2, note: also set in Russian
by Jósef Szulc (1875-1956) , "Un grand sommeil noir", op. 83 (Dix mélodies sur des poésies de Verlaine) no. ?
by Edgard Varèse (1883-1965) , "Un grand sommeil noir", 1906.
by Louis Vierne (1870-1937) , "Un grand sommeil noir", op. 38 no. 2 (1916), from Spleens et Détresses, no. 2.

by Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) , "Dushu skovali", op. 9 no. 2 (1910), orchestrated 1951, from Dva stikhotvorenija Verlena, no. 2, note: also set in French

by Pierre Chépélov (1979-) , "Ruhe", 2005, from Zweisprachstück, no. 2.
by Fritz Koegel (1860-1904) , "Ruhe", published 1915?

ENG English (Corinne Orde)

Added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

Gentle Reminder

This project is not funded. If you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your gift is greatly appreciated!      - Emily I also have a wishlist at Amazon.ca.

Search/Shop for

Sheet music:

  Search sheetmusicplus.com for La bonne chanson, Un grand sommeil noir, Art song , Lieder, chansons, or works for solo voice
  Search musicroom.com for La bonne chanson, Un grand sommeil noir, vocal/choral music

CDs:

  Search amazon.com for La bonne chanson, Un grand sommeil noir, art song, Lieder, or chansons
  Search amazon.ca for La bonne chanson, Un grand sommeil noir, art song, Lieder, or chansons

Books:

  The Art of the Song Recital [amazon.com]
  The Book of Lieder: The Original Texts of Over 1000 Songs [amazon.com]
  French Song Companion [amazon.com]
  Search amazon.com for art song, Lieder, or chansons
  Search amazon.ca for art song, lieder, or chansons

Classical Vocal Repertoire