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Hérodiade de Stéphane Mallarmé: Recitation orchestrale is a composition by Paul Hindemith written in June 1944 on commission from Martha Graham, supported by funds from the Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge Foundation. The ballet premiered under the title of Herodiade (but had originally been titled Mirror before Me) in the Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge Auditorium at the Library of Congress in Washington DC.^[1]^[2] The premiere took place on 30 October 1944, sharing the program with Aaron Copland's Appalachian Spring and Darius Milhaud's Jeux du printemps (Graham's ballet title was Imagined Wing),^[3] with Martha Graham and May O'Donnell in the leading roles. The choreography was by Martha Graham, stage design was by the Japanese American sculptor Isamu Noguchi, and costumes by Edythe Gilfond.

Composition

The piece uses Stéphane Mallarmé's poem "Hérodiade" as a basis for the dramatic narrative flow of the piece without using the more common fusion of poetry and music, a song. Neither does the subtitle "orchestral recitation" imply an actual recitation of the poetry with the music as in a melodrama. This misunderstanding has led to some misguided performances and recordings. In a letter to Willy Strecker, Hindemith further confirms that "The 'Hérodiade' is not to be spoken! The melodic lines in the orchestra ... are themselves the recitation."^[4] Likewise, Hindemith did not set the text as a song because he felt the voice would be a distraction from the dance.^[5] He chose to give the melodic lines of the singer to the instruments of the orchestra, often giving the instruments rhythms that mimic the cadences of French poetry and the declamation of the Mallarmé poem.^[6] It is this that results in the subtitle "orchestral recitation" and not any intent to actually include a recitation of the poem.^[5]

Instrumentation

The instrumentation is similar to Copland's Appalachian Spring, with the addition of oboe and horn and the reduction of strings to one on a part (as opposed to pairs): 1 flute, 1 oboe, 1 clarinet, 1 bassoon, 1 horn, 1 piano, 2 violins, 1 viola, 1 violoncello, 1 string bass.

Structure

The music is in one continuous movement but divided into 11 sections.

A short Prèlude in the strings, followed be a wide-spun melody with the full ensemble, ending with a wind instrument repetition of the opening phrase
A short string quartet
A longer section (Modéré), flute and oboe featured
A return to the string quartet Nurse's music
A loud outburst, full ensemble, (Vif)
Another return to the string quartet Nurse's music
An aria for the clarinet
Energetic, full ensemble, (Agité)
Triumphant waltz, (Vif et passioné)
An aria for the bassoon
A brief, pathetic Finale

Section 1 – Prèlude

${ \new PianoStaff << \new Staff \relative c'' { \clef treble \time 12/8 \key c \major \tempo "Lent" 8 = 96 << { fis4.~\p fis4~ fis16( e) fis4.~ fis8\< b8.( gis16\!) | a4.~ a4(\> gis8) e4.\! } \\ { d4.~ d4~ d16( cis) d4.~ d8( cis c) | b4( e8) cis( b a) gis4. } >> } \new Staff \relative c'' { \clef treble \time 12/8 \key c \major << { b2.\p a4. gis4~\< gis16( g\!) | fis4~( fis16 fis--) f4~(\> f16 f--) e4.\! } \\ { fis4.~ fis4~ fis16( gis) fis4~ fis16( g) e4~ e16( ees) | d4~( d16 d--) b4~( b16 b--) cis4. } >> } >> }$

Section 1 – Melody

$\relative c'' { \clef treble \time 12/8 \key c \major \tempo "Modéré" 4. = 56 r4. b2.\f fis4. | g gis, a~ a4( f'8) | d2. cis }$

Section 2 – Nurse: "Tu vis! ou vois-je ici l'ombre d'une princesse?"

${ \new PianoStaff << \new Staff \relative c'' { \clef treble \time 6/8 \key c \major \tempo "Modérément animé" 4. = 80 << { d2.~\mf | d~ | d4.( cis8) d cis | fis,2.~ | fis4.( fisis) } \\ { s4 e8( ees4) d8( | c'4. b) | bes( a8) g fis | fis4.( ais,) | b2. } >> } \new Staff \relative c' { \clef bass \time 6/8 \key c \major r4 << { cis8( c4) b8( | g'4. fis) | f!8( e ees d) c b | bes4. f!~ | f( e) } \\ { fis8( f4) e8( | a4. gis) | g!( fis8) e dis | d!2.( cis) } >> } >> }$

Section 3 – Hérodiade: "Reculez. Le blond torrent de mes cheveux immaculés...")

${ \new PianoStaff << \new Staff \relative c'' { \clef treble \time 2/2 \tempo "Modéré" 2 = 72 \partial 8*1 cis8\mf^"Flute" gis'2..( b8 | gis2)~ gis8 gis fis e | fis4..( b,16 cis4.. e16 | gis2) b4. a8 | d2~ \times 2/3 {d4( f d} | c2)~ \times 2/3 {c4) g a} | bes2~ \times 2/3 {bes4( d cis} | gis4) gis8 fis gis4 } \new Staff \relative c' { \clef treble \time 2/2 s8 | r2 dis'~\mf^"Oboe" | dis4. fis8 b,2( | a gis | fis4..) e16( \times 2/3 {gis4) b d} | g4..( f16) e2~ | \times 2/3 {e4) b( cis} d2~ | d ees | e!) } >> }$

Section 4 – "Sinon la myrrhe gaie..."

${ \new PianoStaff << \new Staff \relative c'' { \clef treble \time 6/8 \tempo "Modérément animé" 4. = 80 \partial 8*1 b8\p << { b4 b8( a4) a8( | b4) c8( b) a b | d4.~ d4( cis8) | fis,4.( gis) } \\ { fis4. fis4( e8) | g( fis e) d4( a'8) | g4( f!8 e4.) | d( cis) } >> } \new Staff \relative c' { \clef bass \time 6/8 r8 << { s2. | s2. | s4 a8( g4 fis8) | e4.( dis) } \\ { b'4\p d8( cis4) b8( | a4) g8( fis) e fis | e4 d8( c4 b8) | a4.( gis) } >> } >> }$

Section 5 – Hérodiade: "Laisse la ces parfums"

$\relative c'' { \clef treble \time 2/2 \tempo "Vif" 2 = 92 \partial 4*1 gis'8\ff gis | a,4 a8 a d4 r4 | r4 dis e, a | r8 ais' b, e f!4 r | r8 e,\f d2 c8 e | d( c) d e g4.->( fis8) | r4 a8 fis e4 d8 c | d4. b8 d e fis g | gis2\trill-> b-> }$

Section 6 – Nurse: "Pardon! l'âge effaçait"

${ \new PianoStaff << \new Staff \relative c'' { \clef treble \time 6/8 \tempo "Modérément animé" 4. = 80 << { \partial 8*1 b8\p | b4.~ b4 r8 | b4.( a4) a8( | b4) r8 d4.~ | d~ d4 } \\ { dis,8 | e4.~ e4 r8 | e4.( d4) d8( | c4) r8 b4.( | bes2.) } >> } \new Staff \relative c' { \clef bass \time 6/8 << { \partial 8*1 g8 | gis4.~ gis4 r8 | gis4.( fis4) fis8( | e4) r8 d4.~ | d2. } \\ { g8 | e4.~ e8( dis d) | cis4.( b4) b8( | a b gis) g4.~ | g2. } >> } >> }$

Section 7 – Hérodiade's scene before the mirror, "O miroir! Eau froide par l'ennui dans ton cadre gelée"

$\relative c'' { \clef treble \time 5/4 \tempo "Soutenu" 4 = 50 r8^"Clarinet" ees~\mf_"expressif" ees4.( des8 ees,2) | r8 f,(\< aes bes~ \times 2/3 {bes des f} bes des16 bes des'4)~\! | \time 2/4 des8 beses4( fes8 | \time 5/4 ees ees,,) }$

Section 8 – Hérodiade: "Arrête dans ton crime"

$\relative c'' { \clef treble \time 2/2 \tempo "Agité" 2 = 76 \partial 16*1 <a' e bes fis>16\ff^"Fl/Ob/Cl/Bn" | <a e bes fis>2~ <a e bes fis>8. <a e bes fis>16 <gis dis ces g>8. <a e bes fis>16 | <b, a! f!>4-> <c aes g>-> r8. <e, gis,>16 <e a,>8. <e ais,>16 | <dis b>4.( <e c>8 <g cis,>4) <fis d>8. <f dis>16 | <bes e,>4-> <a f!>-> }$

Section 9 – Hérodiade: "Oui, c'est pour moi, pour moi, que je fleuris, déserte!"

$\relative c'' { \clef treble \time 3/4 \tempo "Vif et passionné" 2. = 66 <e' b gis>2.~\ff | <e b gis>2 <d d,>8 <cis cis,> | <b b,>2 r8 <e e,> | <e e,>2 \times 2/3 {<d d,>8 <c c,> <b b,>} | <a a,>2~ <a a,>8 <d d,> | <b b,>4( <e, e,>2) }$

Section 10 – Hérodiade: "Non, pauvre aieule"

$\relative c'' { \clef bass \time 4/8 \tempo "Grave" 8 = 50 \partial 8*1 a8(\mf^"Bassoon"_"expr." | gis16. e32 c!4 b8) | r16 b( d16. b32) r16 b8( d32 e | a8.) gis16( g32 dis) dis( e eis8~) | eis16 fis8--->( cis16 e16) r fis8~ | fis16( cis e8) }$

Section 11 – "Vous mentez, ô fleur nue de mes lèvres"

$\relative c'' { \clef treble \time 4/4 \tempo "Lent" 4 = 56 \partial 8*3 f4--\ff aes8-> | des,4-> r r16 f-> f8-> aes->~ aes32 f-> aes-> f-> | des8-> des4.-> r4 r8 d,!\p( | cis8._"cresc." bis32 cis d8. f32 d ees8) ees r d16( ees | e!8) dis16( e g8. ges32 f bes8 a16 aes des8) }$

References

Notes

^ Nicolas Slonimsky, The Concise Edition of Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, 8th ed. New York: G. Schirmer, 1994.
^ "Herodiade (Ballet Choreographed by Martha Graham)", Performing Arts Encyclopedia, Library of Congress, 12 October 2014. Web. (accessed 12 August 2015).
^ John Martin, Untitled announcement of a performance of Martha Graham's commission by the Coolidge Foundation, The New York Times (8 October 1944), scan on the Performing Arts Encyclopedia, Library of Congress. (accessed 12 August 2015).
^ Hindemith, Paul, and Geoffrey Skelton. Selected Letters of Paul Hindemith. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1995. p. 204
^ ^a ^b Hindemith, Paul. Hérodiade de Stéphane Mallarmé ; récitation orchestrale : 1944. Mainz: Schott Music, 1955.
^ Susan Jones, ed. (2013). Literature, Modernism, and Dance. Corby: Oxford University Press. p. 41. OCLC 857232769.

External links

Library of Congress review clipping from The New York Times
Library of Congress clipping from Christian Science Monitor for a Boston performance
Article by Jürgen Thym in the Moldenhauer Archives at the Library of Congress
Letter to Willy Strecker
Score and list of performances, Schott Music
"Literature, Modernism, and Dance" at Google Books
Martha Graham: special issue, journal Choreography and Dance
Hérodiade by Paul Hindemith: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project

[1] Nicolas Slonimsky, The Concise Edition of Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, 8th ed. New York: G. Schirmer, 1994.

[2] "Herodiade (Ballet Choreographed by Martha Graham)", Performing Arts Encyclopedia, Library of Congress, 12 October 2014. Web. (accessed 12 August 2015).

[3] John Martin, Untitled announcement of a performance of Martha Graham's commission by the Coolidge Foundation, The New York Times (8 October 1944), scan on the Performing Arts Encyclopedia, Library of Congress. (accessed 12 August 2015).

[4] Hindemith, Paul, and Geoffrey Skelton. Selected Letters of Paul Hindemith. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1995. p. 204

[Schott-5] Hindemith, Paul. Hérodiade de Stéphane Mallarmé ; récitation orchestrale : 1944. Mainz: Schott Music, 1955.

[6] Susan Jones, ed. (2013). Literature, Modernism, and Dance. Corby: Oxford University Press. p. 41. OCLC 857232769.

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