97

Le Colibri

[musical score]
60 bars
voice and piano

Poem: Marie-Alexandre Flan (1827–70), poet, dramatist and parodist, who wrote innumerable plays and revues, and collaborated with William Busnach from time to time. The poem was published in the collection Rimes et idées, published by Dentu in 1868, the collection which also provided the poem of Rêve de la bien aimée, by Louis de Courmont. The poem Le Colibri set by Chausson and Kœchlin is by Leconte de Lisle.

Quand du zéphyr
l’haleine est chaude,
rubis, saphir,
verte émeraude,
le colibri
dans le calice
des fleurs se glisse,
c’est son abri.
Où donc est-il,
cet oiseau frêle?
Pas de babil
qui le révèle.
Au moindre bruit
on le découvre,
la fleur s’entr’ouvre,
l’oiseau s’enfuit.

Composition: by 1872. According to Pigot the song was intended for the collection Vingt mélodies, but it was never published.

Autograph score: F-Pn MS 463, Malherbe bequest. 30-stave paper, 353 x 270 mm., 2 f., (title page, 2 p. of music, blank).

Printed score: not known. The song was perhaps published anonymously, as the deletion of Bizet’s name on the autograph suggests.

Performance: 27-10-1938, Mlle M.L. Asso, accompanied by Mlle J. Baudry, Bibliothèque de l’Opéra.

Bibliography: