- Date: 1944
- Composer: Francis Poulenc
- Period: Modern (1910-1949)
Review
Francis Poulenc's solo vocal settings of poems of Paul Éluard have been widely celebrated, while his cantata Figure humaine, to Éluard texts, has been labeled his finest a cappella choral work. An exception to the fame bestowed upon their collaborations, however, has been the little-known six-voice chamber cantata Un soir de neige ("Night of Snow"). That the four brief movements were written over the span of three days during the dead of the French winter is perhaps not surprising, given Éluard's bleak, shadowy landscape. That the days were December 24-26, 1944, however, gives one pause. Even days after the Battle of the Bulge had effectively ended the German threat, and during a holiday that had particular significance to Poulenc following his rediscovery of his Catholic faith, he was peculiarly inspired by these poems whose journey brutally juxtaposes the beauty of nature with cold and death. In this sense the cycle resembles Schubert's Winterreise, and the musical settings in some sense are also a look back to earlier styles, with their relatively simple forms and occasional passage reminiscent of Renaissance polyphony. Yet in spite of these there can be no doubt that both text and music are creations of the mid-twentieth century."De grandes cuillers de neige" (Great drifts of snow) begins the work with a unison soprano melody line painting the wandering steps through the winter weather. Alto, tenor, and bass then comment on the orderliness of nature, but the entire chorus contrasts this with the incongruous presence of the wanderer, over a series of disparate chords that at the same time mark a return to the opening melody, a modified AABA form, characteristic of Poulenc and of this set. The second movement, "La bonne neige" (The lovely snow), also engages in text painting, as alto and tenor weave around a soprano drone like snow through the branches. Heavily chromaticism breaks off into the four upper voices intoning starkly "et c'est toujours/Le dernier vivant que menace/La masse absolue de la mort"("and [the wolf] is always/The last one living, menaced/by total, absolute death"). The B section provides a welcome warm contrast over a bass pedal, but the return of the A section in part proves this to be fleeting.
"Bois meurtri" (Wounded woods) follows after a "long silence"; stark homophonic minor chords characterize it at the interval of the tritone. Its B section has a lovely, jagged line sung by the lower two voices which belies the text (about drowning). The final movement, "La nuit le froid la solitude" (Night of chill and isolation), stands out not only for its extended chromaticism, but also for its AAB form. The lack of a return seals the bleak mood of the composition. Un soir de neige is scored for a mixed chorus of six parts, and could very well be performed by six solo voices. Though overlooked, it is a fine representation of Poulenc's mature choral style. ~ All Music Guide
Albums with Complete Performances of the Work
Albums with Excerpt Performances of the Work
| Title | Date |
| Elegy | 2002 |
| Highlights: 600 Years Choral Music | 2001 |
| Te Roopu Rangatahi Waiata o Aotea Roa | 1992 |
| The Very Best of Poulenc | 2008 |
| Voices 1900/2000 | 2001 |
