Solo de lune for (my) voice and piano

Hello

Here is another piece of the cycle "a la lune" according to Jules Laforgue.
I didn't count. I must be at 4 or 5 on the same theme.
Here is a kind of little song that looks like a waltz.
Sweet bitter, of course, since it is lost love...
Translation in the video in subtitles.
Thank you for your criticism!

I like this so much!  His poetry is so evocative of a time and place, while simultaneously the speaker could be someone you pass on the street today.  The rocking rhythm of your piano accompaniment feels appropriate to an evening spent lying on the carriage roof, soul twirling along with the smoke.  Your harmonies around 1:10 work very well to inject a little melancholy and mystery to "pourquoir me comprenez-vous pas?"  You do an excellent job of turning your musical language to follow the narrator's emotional journey, while still producing a cohesive piece.  Bravo!

Hi @Krisp!

I like the opening D flat major passage which for me is very tranquilled. I don't know why, the ending of the piece reminds me of the ending of Schumann's Dichterliebe. Nice color and singing as usual! One thing is that, if you use key signatures maybe you can write less accidentals in your manuscript? Thx for sharing!

Henry

On 7/11/2025 at 8:28 AM, Henry Ng Tsz Kiu said:

Hi @Krisp!

I like the opening D flat major passage which for me is very tranquilled. I don't know why, the ending of the piece reminds me of the ending of Schumann's Dichterliebe. Nice color and singing as usual! One thing is that, if you use key signatures maybe you can write less accidentals in your manuscript? Thx for sharing!

Henry

 

Haha, you’re absolutely right — it would definitely save me a fair amount of pencil lead!

The reason I generally avoid using key signatures is that I don’t want to feel boxed into a tonal framework while composing. I need to be able to escape at any moment. (Even though in this case, the harmony remains fairly traditional — if slightly wobbly at times…)

I’m also a bit wary of giving the performer the “harmonic solution” upfront — sometimes there are several, and it’s up to them to choose what feels most appropriate.

So yes, I tend to approach the page as a blank, open space. Most of my manuscripts are working drafts anyway — I really should take the time to clean them up. And when I do, using key signatures might actually be a sensible option. 😉

As for the reference to Dichterliebe — thank you! That cycle has been with me forever… It’s sort of my singer’s Bible, you know.
So yes, there may well be echoes of it in what I write — intentional or not. The coda of Dichterliebe is such a marvel — a very strange and beautiful thing — like a page gently closing, a consolation, the dream-kiss of a beloved.

We are, after all, speaking of bitterness and love… so of course, we’re already halfway into that world.

In any case, thank you for your listening and your advice.

On 7/10/2025 at 3:56 AM, pateceramics said:

I like this so much!  His poetry is so evocative of a time and place, while simultaneously the speaker could be someone you pass on the street today.  The rocking rhythm of your piano accompaniment feels appropriate to an evening spent lying on the carriage roof, soul twirling along with the smoke.  Your harmonies around 1:10 work very well to inject a little melancholy and mystery to "pourquoir me comprenez-vous pas?"  You do an excellent job of turning your musical language to follow the narrator's emotional journey, while still producing a cohesive piece.  Bravo!

 

Thank you so much!

It’s truly rewarding to feel heard — even in the smallest details — especially when working in French, which isn’t always the easiest language to share online.

I’m really glad it resonated with you.

Laforgue offers us a message of lost love — cruel, universal, and timeless.