Reynolds Hahn (August 9, 1875 -January 28, 1947) was a Venezuelan, naturalized French, composer, conductor, music critic, diarist, theatre director, and salon singer. Best known as a composer of songs, he wrote in the French classical tradition tot the m©oldie. The fine craftsmanship, remarkable beauty, and originality of his works, Probably the most beautiful pieces (in my opinion) ever composed by Hahn was “Allure issues” with is simplicity and perfect illustration of text. The (Preach) text reads: “La Lune balance ITT Dana Sees Bois De chase branches art nun voice souse la ram©e.
O been aim©e. L’©tang reef©et, profound mirror, la silhouette du sale noir oј lee vent pleurae. R©vans, test lure’s. Un vast et tender appeasement assemble descended du firmament queue Vaster irises. Chest Rehire issues! ” Translated: “The White moon shines in the woods. From each branch springs a voice beneath the arbor. Oh my beloved, Like a deep mirror the pond reflects the silhouette of the black willow where the Wind weeps. Let us dream! It is the hour… A vast and tender calm seems to descend from a sky dad iridescent by the moon. It is the exquisite hour! The accompaniment to the piece is quite lovely and is perfect for the txt of the piece. The speaker in this art song, which is usually sung by high voice although it has been transposed, is speaking of how perfect the setting is for them to be with their lover. While the meter of the music flows along in a docile sense it almost has a tedious sense about it. The detail to which the speaker lends their description gives a little bit of anxiety almost because of how delicate the scene seems to be. It’s almost as if the speaker vans to be careful not to break the perfection as if it has the tensile strength Of a cobweb even.
Small breaks in the accompaniment to be left to the soloist give a sense of very careful treading so as not to send anything Off kilter. The vocal line sits in the middle range providing ease and allowing the vocalist to portray simplicity and awe, these two characteristics being carefully energize in the sphere Of anxiousness and carefulness. The vocal line is occasionally taken into the higher part of the range UT is still kept quiet, almost in a kind of accidental excitement that must be quickly drawn back.
In the last verse of the piece the text and rhythm are brought to their most excited state where Hahn almost doubles all of the rhythms used in the verse the duple meters where the poet speaks of a a calmness descending on them. This line’s subtle tension is brought perfectly relieved by a last line entering the upper loftier part of the voice , yet still quieted, where it the brought almost into a homily like cadence that allows for some free mime to he taken between the collaborative instruments and the voice.
I would say that this piece is loved by audiences of all kinds pretty much across the board and the text could almost not be taken in a romantic text although believe most people perceive it this way. It seems to me however to me that it could also be noticed as a lullaby, maybe between a mother and child. Either way the text would still be just as delicate and Hahn would have been just as brilliant in his interpretation.
