113

Le Portrait

mélodie

op. 13

[musical score]
59 bars
voice and piano

Poem: by Eugène Manuel (1823–1907), Le Portrait, no. XIX in Pages Intimes, published in 1865. The poem is dated 1858.

Voici les traits de ton visage
Au temps que je n’ai pas connu.
Dans le passé tout est présage ;
Ce qu’il promet, il l’a tenu.
C’est bien toi, mais à peine éclose ;
Fleur de quinze ans, rose d’avril,
Bouton qui se métamorphose
A l’heure du premier péril !
Ton front rayonnant semble dire :
« Ne touchez pas à ma gaité ! »
Oh ! comme tu devais bien rire !
Mais j’aime mieux ta gravité.
Ardente et vive, tu t’élances
A la poursuite des plaisirs !
J’aurais aimé tes espérances :
Mais j’aime mieux nos souvenirs.
Alors, ta joue était plus ronde,
Plus fraîche en était la couleur,
Plus clair ce regard qui m’inonde :
Pourtant j’aime mieux ta pâleur.
Alors, dans ta jeune ignorance,
Ton cœur n’avait point palpité ;
J’aurais aimé ton innocence :
Mais j’aime mieux ta chasteté.

Composition: 1873–75. Unpublished in Bizet’s lifetime, this song appeared in the Seize Mélodies in 1883 with different words by Philippe Gille, under the title Pastel. The letter of c. 1870 to Manuel which mentions setting his poem also refers to a project by Bizet and Hippolyte Leroy, which could be the Leroy and Sauvage opera of 1868-69. On the other hand, Bizet appears not to have used 32-stave paper before 1873.

Autograph score: Private collection. 32-stave paper, 2 f., 2 p. of music, in B♭ major, prepared for engraving with A.C. 6635 entered at the foot of p. 2.
title page, music 2–3 with title at the head of p. 2, blank. The original verses have been crossed through and Gille’s verses inserted; a copy of Gille’s verses is attached. The inclusion of an opus number is very unusual.
Printed scores:
1

Choudens, as no. 15 in Seize Mélodies, 1883, as Pastel, with new words by Philippe Gille, in two keys. The lower key is G. IMSLP

2

Choudens père et fils, 30 Boulevard des Capucines, pl. no. A.C. 6635 (low key), A.C. 6651 (high key), 7 p., 1886, as Pastel, with words by Phillipe Gille. Copies: F-Pn Vm7 32709(1–2) (both voices), GB-Lbl H.2836.s.(47) (low voice) (stamped 1/12/86), GB-NWm (lower key), GB-Ob Mus %.c.B.63(13) (high voice)

3

Durdilly, as no. 569 in Série 23 of Édition française, as Pastel, c. 1890 (lower key). GB-NWm.

4

Hansen, Copenhagen, pl. no. 12411, 5 p., 1898, as Pastel, with words by Philippe Gille, in Swedish, French and Danish. D-B.

Dedicatee:

Marie Brousse, a singer active in Paris in the 1850s. She was heard in London in 1859. See Tarentelle.

Letter:
c. 1870 Bizet to Manuel:
'Je viens vous adresser deux requêtes, plutôt vous prier de vouloir bien me rendre deux services !.. 1o Voulez-vous m’autoriser à interpreter musicalement quelques-unes de vos pages intimes ?'
US-NYp
Discography
(as Pastel)
Bibliography