Lili Boulanger
Lili Boulanger was born into a musical family. Her renowned
elder sister Nadia Boulanger was a French composer who taught many of the leading composers and
musicians in the 20th century. Nadia described how in their household, "Everyone played
music. Music was the beginning and the central part of our existence." Her
whole family was tethered together by music. But sadly a terrible event occurred.
Lili's father died when she was just six years old. Nadia believed that this
played a material role in Lili's desire to express herself through music by
becoming a composer. It seemed as though her father’s bad health carried over to
her. Ongoing poor health prevented Lili attending the Paris Music Academy with
her sister. Although whenever she was well enough she would attend her sister's music lessons with her.
By the time she was 16, Lili had already told her family she wanted to be a
composer, an unusual choice for a young lady, even in the Boulanger family. By
the time she started studying theory, Lili Boulanger had already written several compositions, mostly sacred works and piano pieces.
Her enthusiasm continued in 1910. She was an avid learner, always wanting to improve her
skills. To do this she began to take lessons every day, including weekends. Thus,
she improved drastically. Two years later she successfully gained admission to
the Music Academy, and studied there until 1913.
By the time she finished school she had also completed a cantata, the Faust et Hélène cantata, which won
her the Prix de Rome. This gained her a five year international scholarship
to the school and international fame. Unfortunately, just after arriving in
Rome in March 1914, war broke out in August of that year. Lili became
too involved in charity work, so she was not able to compose during that
time.
As I have mentioned before, Lili's health had never been very good,
and by 1916 she was told she had just two years left to live. Rather than
remorsing and retireing, this period was one of
enormous creativity as she rushed to complete the works that she had already
started, including an opera La Princesse Maleine. Each period of improved health was
filled with a rush to work, and when that was not possible she would dictate
the music to Nadia. I believe that if she were healthy, she would not have done
as much deep composing as she did. I also believe that if she were healthy, she
would not have been able to create such beautiful compositions.
By 1917 she was very sick. Lili dictated her last work, Pie Jesu, to her sister Nadia.
Her life was cut very short, and in March 1918 at the age of 24, she passed away from Crohn's Disease, without ever completing the opera.
Mozart and Schubert both had musical lives tragically cut short, but they
reached 35 and 31 years old respectively. But as you listen to the 'Three Psalms' ("Trois Psaumes"), above
all the beautiful "Psalm 130", you can only wonder what might have been.
An interesting fact about her sister is that following the death of Lili Boulanger, Nadia stopped composing music and turned to teaching. Some of her students included Elliott Carter and Aaron Copland.
Lili Boulanger - recommended listening
- Psaume 24, Psaume 129, Psaume 130 (Three Psalms)
- The Cantata 'Faust et Hélène
- D'un Soir Triste
elder sister Nadia Boulanger was a French composer who taught many of the leading composers and
musicians in the 20th century. Nadia described how in their household, "Everyone played
music. Music was the beginning and the central part of our existence." Her
whole family was tethered together by music. But sadly a terrible event occurred.
Lili's father died when she was just six years old. Nadia believed that this
played a material role in Lili's desire to express herself through music by
becoming a composer. It seemed as though her father’s bad health carried over to
her. Ongoing poor health prevented Lili attending the Paris Music Academy with
her sister. Although whenever she was well enough she would attend her sister's music lessons with her.
By the time she was 16, Lili had already told her family she wanted to be a
composer, an unusual choice for a young lady, even in the Boulanger family. By
the time she started studying theory, Lili Boulanger had already written several compositions, mostly sacred works and piano pieces.
Her enthusiasm continued in 1910. She was an avid learner, always wanting to improve her
skills. To do this she began to take lessons every day, including weekends. Thus,
she improved drastically. Two years later she successfully gained admission to
the Music Academy, and studied there until 1913.
By the time she finished school she had also completed a cantata, the Faust et Hélène cantata, which won
her the Prix de Rome. This gained her a five year international scholarship
to the school and international fame. Unfortunately, just after arriving in
Rome in March 1914, war broke out in August of that year. Lili became
too involved in charity work, so she was not able to compose during that
time.
As I have mentioned before, Lili's health had never been very good,
and by 1916 she was told she had just two years left to live. Rather than
remorsing and retireing, this period was one of
enormous creativity as she rushed to complete the works that she had already
started, including an opera La Princesse Maleine. Each period of improved health was
filled with a rush to work, and when that was not possible she would dictate
the music to Nadia. I believe that if she were healthy, she would not have done
as much deep composing as she did. I also believe that if she were healthy, she
would not have been able to create such beautiful compositions.
By 1917 she was very sick. Lili dictated her last work, Pie Jesu, to her sister Nadia.
Her life was cut very short, and in March 1918 at the age of 24, she passed away from Crohn's Disease, without ever completing the opera.
Mozart and Schubert both had musical lives tragically cut short, but they
reached 35 and 31 years old respectively. But as you listen to the 'Three Psalms' ("Trois Psaumes"), above
all the beautiful "Psalm 130", you can only wonder what might have been.
An interesting fact about her sister is that following the death of Lili Boulanger, Nadia stopped composing music and turned to teaching. Some of her students included Elliott Carter and Aaron Copland.
Lili Boulanger - recommended listening
- Psaume 24, Psaume 129, Psaume 130 (Three Psalms)
- The Cantata 'Faust et Hélène
- D'un Soir Triste