Henri Dutilleux, haunted by Baudelaire

One of the leading French composers of the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, Henri Dutilleux (1916-2013) set only one text by Baudelaire, though he said that the poet was the artist in any medium who had the strongest impact on him; indeed, he said that ‘Baudelaire continues to haunt me.’ This article explores how this ‘haunting’ affected Dutilleux’s oeuvre, from his cello concerto Tout un monde lointain… [‘A Far Distant World’] (1967-1970) whose five movements are each preceded by a Baudelaire epigraph, through to his final completed work, the song cycle Le Temps l’horloge [‘Time the Clock’] (2006-2009) which concludes with a setting of Baudelaire’s prose poem Enivrez-vous [‘Be Intoxicated’]. Le Temps l’horloge also features settings of poems by Jean Tardieu and Robert Desnos, and Baudelaire’s poetry and art criticism were centrally important to both these writers. The multiple interrelationships between Baudelaire, Tardieu, Desnos, and Dutilleux are traced in this article, and analysis of ‘Enivrez-vous’ shows it to be the summation of Dutilleux’s output.

REMEMBERING A MUSICAL ERA: HENRI DUTILLEUX IN CONVERSATION

Henri Dutilleux was a unique musical figure of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. His music is defined by his great sense of lyricism and meticulous control, which, over his life as a composer, had undergone much thought and a gradual sense of change. He inevitably acquired a wide mix of contemporary influences, which added to his poetic vision. Dutilleux's music appears to be a sophisticated understatement, yet at the same time there is an expressive depth and mystery that sets his music apart from any one musical movement or group of his time.

DUTILLEUX IN CONTEXT: A STUDY OF HIS FORMATIVE YEARS

It was at an interview towards the end of my research project in January 2005 that Henri Dutilleux, one of the most unique composers of the 20th and 21st centuries, granted me an exclusive opportunity to discuss aspects of his musical training. In the interview he reflects on his studies in the provinces and at the Paris Conservatoire:I did not study piano at the Conservatoire, nor did I study organ. I received my technique in the provinces. The Director of Douai tutored me well, which is why I was at a very good level when I entered the Conservatoire [Paris]. With my solid training, I was encouraged to enter the Prix de Rome very soon, which is why I did not study there long enough.

Dutilleux

HENRI DUTILLEUX: L’Arbre des Songes; La Geôle; Deux Sonnets de Jean Cassou; Mystère de l’Instant. Olivier Charlier (vln), François Le Roux (bar), Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine c. Hans Graf. Arte Nova Classics 82876 63825 2.