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...
Ô la triste histoire !

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

Authorship

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 José André (1881-1944) , "Un grand sommeil noir", 1905, published 1928 [voice and piano], from the collection Mélodies et chansons, no. 1, Paris, Sénart
by Georges Antoine (1892-1918) , "Un grand sommeil noir"
by Max Arham , "Un grand sommeil noir", published 1914 [voice and piano], from the collection Douze mélodies, 3e série, no. 54, Paris, Sénart
by Louis Aubert (1877-1968) , "Un grand sommeil noir", published 1949 [voice and piano], Paris, Durand
by H. Baston-Couat , "Un grand sommeil noir", published 1929 [voice and piano], from Trois mélodies, no. 3, Paris, Roudanez
by Armand Bernaert (1888-1950) , "Un grand sommeil noir", [1920]. [voice and piano]
by Nadia Boulanger (1887-1979) , "Désespérance", 1902. [voice and piano]
by Nadia Boulanger (1887-1979) , "Un grand sommeil noir", 1906 [voice and piano], lost (a different version from the one of 1902)
by Félix Bousquet , "Un grand sommeil noir", published [1921] [voice and piano], Paris, Jamin
by Marguerite Canal (1890-1978) , "Un grand sommeil noir" [voice and piano]
by Joseph Canteloube de Malaret (1879-1957) , "Un grand sommeil noir", published 1903 [voice and piano], Paris, Hamelle
by Pierre Chépélov (1979-) , "Un grand sommeil noir", 2005, from Zweisprachstück, no. 1.
by Suzanne Coquelin , "Un grand sommeil noir", published 1912 [voice and piano], Paris, Jouve
by André-Marie Cuvelier , "Un grand sommeil noir", published 1939 [voice and piano], from Chansons pour Hélène, IV, no. 1, Paris, Jobert
by Lucien Darras (1922-) , "Un grand sommeil noir", published [1945] [voice and piano], Paris, J. Rousselot
by Fidès Devriès (1852-1941?) , "Tristesse", published 1907 [voice and piano], Paris, Choudens
by Albert Doyen (1882-1935) , "Un grand sommeil noir", published 1912 [voice and piano], from Sur des poèmes de Paul Verlaine, no. 2, Paris, Leduc
by Blair Fairchild (1877-1933) , "Sommeil noir", published c1908 [voice and piano], Firenze, Bratti, Lavilla et Cie
by Dirk Foch (1886-1940) , "Silence, silence", op. 13 no. 3, published 1921 [voice and piano], from Trois chants, no. 3, New York, Fischer
by Gérard Frasca , "Un grand sommeil noir", op. 4 no. 2 (1946) [soprano and piano], from Deux mélodies pour soprano, no. 2.
by Marius-François Gaillard (1900-) , "Un grand sommeil noir", published 1918 [voice and piano], from Six mélodies, no. 3, Paris, Costallat
by Eduardo García Mansilla (1871-1930) , "Silence, silence" [voice and piano], from Cinq poèmes, no. 5, Paris, Grus
by Gabriel Grovlez (1879-1944) , "Un grand sommeil noir", 1909, published 1910 [voice and piano], from Sagesse, no. 4, Paris, Schott
by Arthur Honegger (1892-1955) , no title, H. 184 no. 3 (1944), published 1947 [low voice and piano], from Romances choisies, quatre chansons pour voix grave, no. 3, Paris, Salabert
by André Jolivet (1905-1974) , "Un grand sommeil noir"
by Léo Kok (1914-) , "Un grand sommeil noir", published 1935 [voice and piano], from Sept mélodies retrouvées, no. 2, éd. G.L.M.
by Pavel Ivanovich Kovalev (1889-1951) , "Un grand sommeil noir", op. 19 no. 1, published 1925 [voice and piano], from Six chansons sur des poésies de Paul Verlaine, no. 1, Moscow
by Philippe Krawczyk , "Un grand sommeil noir", [1956]. [voice and piano]
by Guillaume Landré (1905-1968) , "Un grand sommeil noir" [voice and piano]
by Raoul Laparra (1876-1943) , "Un grand sommeil noir", published 1909 [voice and piano], Paris, Hamelle
by Charles-Hilaire Laurent (1877-1941) , "Un grand sommeil noir", published 1909 [voice and piano], Paris, Siéver
by N. Lavenant , "Un grand sommeil noir", published 1908 [voice and piano], Paris, Moulle
by Frédéric Michel , "Un grand sommeil noir", published 1923 [voice and piano], from Dix mélodies, no. 8, Paris, Sénart
by Michel-Francou , "Un grand sommeil noir" [voice and piano]
by Eugeniusz de Morawski (1876-1948) , "Un grand sommeil noir", published 1920 [voice and piano], Paris, Rouart
by Jerzy Nawrocki , "Un grand sommeil noir", [1971]. [voice and piano]
by Carolus Dietmar Oberstadt (1871-1940) , "Un grand sommeil noir", op. 7 no. 3, published 1916 [voice and piano], from Chansons âpres et douces, no. 3, Paris, Sénart
by Norman Houston O'Neill (1875-1934) , "Un grand sommeil noir", op. 26 no. 1, published 1907 [voice and piano], from Two French Songs, no. 1, London, Avison, also set in English
by Héctor (or Ettore) Panizza (1875-1967) , "Sagesse, III", op. 24 no. 9, published 1899 [voice and piano], from Neuf poésies de Paul Verlaine, no. 9, Milan, Ricordi
by Bernard Panouillot , "Un grand sommeil noir", [1952]. [voice and piano]
by Antonio Parera (1890-?) , "Un grand sommeil noir" [voice and piano]
by Paule Perrin (1906-1959) , "Un grand sommeil noir", [1959]. [voice and piano]
by Jeanne-Eugénie Philippon , "Un grand sommeil noir", [1927]. [voice and piano]
by A. Pollonnais , "Un grand sommeil noir", published 1897 [voice and piano], Paris, Vve Richault mère
by Marta Ptaszyńska , "Un grand sommeil noir", 1977, published 1979 [female voice, flute and harp], Krakow, PWM Édition ; with English text by K. Flores - text a mix of French and English
by René Rabey (1878-1958) , "Un grand sommeil noir", 1904. [voice and piano]
by Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) , "Un grand sommeil noir", 1895, published 1953, Paris, Durand ; later published by Salabert, 1975
by Léo Sachs , "Mélancolie", published 1902 [voice and piano], Paris, Hamelle
by Lazare Saminsky (1882-1959) , "Un grand sommeil noir", op. 5 no. 3, published 1914 [voice and piano], from Cycle Verlaine, no. 3, Moscow ; Paris, Sénart ; also in German and Russian
by Gustave Sandré (1843-1916) , "Un grand sommeil noir", op. 56 no. 2, published 1897 [voice and piano], from Trois mélodies sur des poésies de Verlaine, no. 2, Paris, Leduc
by Sebastian Benson Schlesinger (1837-1917) , "Un grand sommeil noir", published 1901 [voice and piano], from the collection Recueil de mélodies, no. 1, Paris, Quinzard
by Paul-Louis-Camille Schlosser , "Un grand sommeil noir", [1940]. [voice and piano]
by Hélène-Azuna Semama, dit H. Servoz (1885-1939) , "Un grand sommeil noir", [1932]. [voice and piano]
by Ludwig-Wolfgang Simoni , "Un grand sommeil noir", 1961 [voice and piano], from Trois poèmes tristes, no. ?
by Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) , "La bonne chanson", op. 9 no. 2 (1910), published 1911 [bass and orchestra], orchestrated 1951, from Dva stikhotvorenija Verlena, no. 2, Moscow, Jurgenson, also set in Russian
by Jósef-Zygmunt Szulc (1875-1956) , "Un grand sommeil noir", op. 83 (Dix mélodies sur des poésies de Verlaine) no. 3, published 1907 [voice and piano], Paris, Rouart Lerolle
by Paul Tortelier (1914-1990) , "Un grand sommeil noir", [1942]. [voice and piano]
by Edgard Varèse (1883-1965) , "Un grand sommeil noir", 1906, published 1906, Paris, Salabert (Roudanez)
by Louis Vierne (1870-1937) , "Un grand sommeil noir", op. 38 no. 2 (1916), published 1924, from Spleens et Détresses, no. 2, Paris, Salabert
by Axel Raoul Wachtmeister (1865-1947) , "Un grand sommeil noir", published 1925 [voice and piano], from Trois mélodies, no. 3, Paris, Heugel

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

by Pierre Chépélov (1979-) , "Ruhe", 2005, from Zweisprachstück, no. 2.
by Fritz Koegel (1860-1904) , "Ruhe", published 1915?
by (Kurt) Rudolf Mengelberg (1892-1959) , "Ruhe", op. 11 no. 3, published 1928 [voice and piano], from Lieder nach Verlaine. Zweites Heft, no. 3, Budapest, Röszavölgyi
by Richard Trunk (1879-1968) , "Ruhe", op. 42 no. 11 (1920) [voice and piano], from Zwölf Gesänge mit Klavier nach Gedichten von Paul Verlaine, no. 11.
by Hermann Karl Josef Zilcher (1881-1948) , "Ruhe", op. 25 no. 13 (1919) [tenor and piano], from Dehmel-Zyklus. 14 Lieder und Duette für Sopran, Tenor und Klavier, no. 13.

by Victor Vreuls (1876-1944) , unknown title, published 1905 [voice and orchestra or piano], from Triptyque, no. ?, Bruxelles, Breitkopf & Härtel

by Joszef Soproni (1930-) , "Nagy fekete ej", 1965, published 1979 [voice and piano], from Három Verlaine-dal = Trois chansons sur des poèmes de Verlaine, no. 2, Editio Musica Budapest

by Norman Houston O'Neill (1875-1934) , unknown title, op. 26 no. 1, published 1907 [voice and piano], from Two French Songs, no. 1, London, Avison, also set in French

by Vassily Vasilyevich Nechayev (1895-1956) , unknown title, op. 1 no. 3 (1917), published 1922 [voice and piano], from Dix pièces pour les jeunes, no. 3, Moscow

by Joszef Soproni (1930-) , "A nagy fekete éj", op. 9040 no. 2 ([1966]). [voice and piano]

by Anatoly Nikolayevich Aleksandrov (1888-1982) , no title, published 1970 [voice and piano], Moscow, Musika

by Vladimír Rusó (1946-) , "Ziti zavěje", published 1980 [voice and piano], from Západy slunce = Soleils couchants, no. 3, Bratislava, Slovensky Hudobný Fond

by G.-A. Kreyn , unknown title, op. 9 no. 3 [voice and piano], Moscow

by Cecil Coles (1888-1918) , "A slumber vast and black" [soprano and orchestra], from Verlaine Lieder (Four Verlaine Songs), no. 2.

ENG English (Corinne Orde) , "A long black sleep", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Text added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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