La Courte Paille

{{Short description|Song cycle composed by Francis Poulenc}} {{one source|date=November 2021}} {{italic title}} {{Infobox musical composition | name = ''{{lang|fr|La Courte Paille}}'' | type = Songs | composer = Francis Poulenc | image = | image_upright = | caption = | key = | catalogue = FP 178 | language = | based_on = Poems by Maurice Carême | composed = Summer 1960 | performed = {{start date|1961|09||df=y}} | scoring = {{hlist | Voice | piano }} | published = | premiere_location = Festival de Royaumont (then Seine-et-oise department) }}

'''''La Courte Paille''''' (''The Short Straw''), FP 178, is a set of seven songs for voice and piano, composed in 1960 by Francis Poulenc on poems by Maurice Carême. The duration of the work is roughly 8 minutes.

== History of the work == Composed in July–August 1960, the songs were premiered at the festival of Royaumont Abbey, in 1961, by soprano Colette Herzog and Jacques Février as the pianist.<ref name="BnF">[http://data.bnf.fr/13917059/francis_poulenc_la_courte_paille__fp_178_/ ''La Courte Paille''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130630063730/http://data.bnf.fr/13917059/francis_poulenc_la_courte_paille__fp_178_/ |date=2013-06-30 }} on the site of the Bibliothèque nationale de France</ref>

== Titles == # ''Le sommeil'' # ''Quelle aventure !'' # ''La reine de cœur'' # ''Ba, be, bi, bo, bu'' # ''Les anges musiciens'' # ''Le carafon'' # ''Lune d'avril''

== Origin of the poems == ''Le sommeil'', ''Ba, be, bi, bo, bu'' and ''Le carafon'' come from the collection of Maurice Carême ''La Cage aux grillons'' (1959).

''Quelle aventure ! '', ''La reine de cœur'', ''Les anges musiciens'' and ''Lune d'avril'' come from the collection ''Le Voleur d'étincelles'' (1960).

== Dedicatee == ''La Courte Paille'' is dedicated to the singer Denise Duval (1921–2016) in honor of her son Richard Schilling.<ref name="BnF" />

== Discography == * ''Fiançailles pour rire; La Courte Paille'' - Colette Herzog (soprano) and Jacques Février (piano) - Deutsche Grammophon, 1963. * 3 et 6 : ''Les Nuits d'été; mélodies'' - Régine Crespin (soprano) and John Wustman (piano) - Decca Records, 1967. * ''La Dame de Monte Carlo; La Courte Paille'' - Mady Mesplé (soprano) and Gabriel Tacchino (piano) - EMI Group, 1986. * ''Mélodies'' - Elly Ameling (soprano) and Dalton Baldwin (piano) - EMI Group, 1991. * ''Voyage à Paris'' - Frederica von Stade (mezzo-soprano) and Martin Katz (piano) - BMG France, 1995. * ''Mélodies'' - Felicity Lott (soprano) and Pascal Rogé (piano) - Decca Records, 1998.

== References == {{Reflist}} Clifton, Keith E. "Beyond Childhood: Poulenc, ''La courte paille'', and the Aural Envelope." ''College Music Symposium'' 49/50 (2009/2010): 333-44.

== External links == * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaiJ3-nYEHg Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) - ''La courte paille''] on YouYube * [http://www.poulenc.fr/userfiles/downloads/poulenc_paille_brun.pdf ''La Courte Paille, cycle de mélodies ?'' by Joelle Brun-Cosme] * [http://www.ina.fr/video/I13309049 Francis Poulenc sur ''La courte paille''] on INA.fr (26 February 1961) * [http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dw.asp?dc=W14699_68021 La courte paille, FP178 on Hyperion] with French lyrics and English translations {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Courte Paille, La}} Category:Mélodies Category:Song cycles by Francis Poulenc Category:1960 compositions Category:Music based on poems