89

Pourquoi pleurer?

mélodie

[musical score]
95 bars

Poem: Jules-Henry Vernoy, Marquis de Saint-Georges (1799–1875), librettist of Noé.

Composition: The song was part of Bizet's contribution to Halévy's unfinished opera Noé, composed in 1869. Some bars of recitative which, in the opera, intervene between the two verses have been removed in this arrangement, first published after Bizet's death.

Published scores:
1

Choudens, as no. 3 of Seize mélodies, 1883, in two keys: D (as in Noé) and C. IMSLP.

2

Choudens père et fils, 30 Boulevard des Capucines, pl. no. A.C. 6604 (high key), A.C. 6649 (low key), 5 p., c. 1886. Copies: F-Pn Vm7 32713 (both keys), GB-NWm (both keys).

3

Sonzogno, Milan, pl. no. 7573, 5 p., c. 1888, as Io stava un giorno sulla riva, in Italian. I-Mc.

4

Durdilly, as no. 565 in Série 23 of Édition française, c. 1890.

5

Hansen, Copenhagen, pl. no. 12399, 7 p., 1898, in Swedish, French and Danish. D-B.

See also printed scores of Noé.