Vocal compositions

Lieder, Art Songs and Chansons d'art:

With piano accompaniment:

for Soprano and Piano:

Op. posth - 2 Melodies [1932 & 1951] - Dedicated to Nadia Casanova

for Indefinite Voice and Piano:

for Bass and Piano:

Op. 6 - 6 Lieder [1937-42] - Poems by E. Dowson, Apollinaire, W. C. Williams, P. Eluard - Dedicated to Paul Dessau and Henry Kahnweiller

1. Zu wissen wenig - poem by Hölderlin

2. Mädchenrätsel - poem by Kleist

1. Vitae summa brevis spem nos vetat incohare longam – «They are not long the weaping and the laughter» - poem by Ernest Dowson

2. Tour – « Au nord au sud… » - poem by Guillaumme Apollinaire

3. The Deceptrices – « Because they are not they point their lips and dress like whores » - poem by William Carlos Williams

4. La dernière lettre – « La douceur du climat marin » - poem by Paul Eluard

5. Bilder höhnen – « Bilder höhnen zeichen verzaubern » - poem by Carl Einstein

6. Des Hommes Jouent - « Juste à la hauteur de mes jeux » - poem by Michel Leiris

Op. 9 - Three Melodies for Pablo Picasso [1943]

1. « En secret tais foi ne dis rien »

2. « Donne arrache tordo et fues »

3. « L’arome écoute passer les reflets que le chardonneret »

Op. 18 - Four Melodies [1949] - Poems by Michel Leiris

1. Chanter

2. Royaume

3. Toro

4. Tari

Op. 25 - 5 chansons [1950-51] - Poems by L. Abel, W. C. Williams, James Joyce, Hart Crane, Ezra Pound

1. After towards - poem by Lione Abel

2. The Lowest Tree in Flower - poem by William Carlos Williams

3. Alone - from Pomes Penyeach by James Joyce

4. Imperatus Victus - from Key West, by Hart Crane

5. Coda - poem by Ezra Pound

1954 - Op. 34 - 4 Chansons - Poems by James Joyce - Dedicated to the first performer: Ethel Samser

1. A Flower given to my Daughter

2. Watching the needleboats at San Baba

3. Bahnhofstrasse

4. On the Beach at Fontana

Op. 49 - Damoclès [1958] - on five poems by Michel Leiris - Dedicated to Zette and Michel Leiris

Op. 67 - 2 Melodies [1965] - Poems by Aime Cesaire

1. Blues de la Pluie

2. Interlude

Op. 73 - Three Poems by Georges Bataille [1966]

1. "La nuit est ma nuidité"

2. "Le lin, l’épuisement d’un cœur horrible"

3. "Je bois dans ta déchirure et j’étale tes jambes nues"

Op. 76 - Two Poems by Michel Leiris [1966]

1. À qui l'on aime

2. Vers la source

Op. 80 - 4 Lieder [1967] - Poemes by C. Einstein - Che Guevara, in memoriam

1. "Ein wahrer Augenblick und über Verbranntem schlurrt Tod"

2. "Stürzend hängst du verwirrt"

3. "Nie triffst Du Dich"

4. "Bilder höhnen, Zeichen verzaubern"

Op. 86 - 4 Lieder [1969] - Poemes by Paul Celan - Dedicated to to Boris Carmeli

1. "Augen blicke, wessenn winke keine Helle schläft."

2. "In den Gezäuschen, wie unser anfang"

3. "Deine Augen im Arm"

4. "Du warst mein Tod"

for Vocal Quartet and Piano:

Op. 92 - Three Poems by Pierre Reverdy [1971]

1. Son de Cloche

2. Air

3. Soleil

Operas and Musical dramas:

Operas:

Op. 30 - Circulaire de minuit - Opera in three acts [1952-53]. Libretto by Georges Limbour - Dedicated to Georges Limbour

Op. 60 - Les Espagnols à Venise - Opera in one act [1962]. Libretto by Georges Limbour - Dedicated to Zette and Michel Leiris

Op. 91 - Todos caerán - Opera in two acts and 5 scenes [1972]. Libretto by René Leibowitz - for Antoinette

Musical dramas:

Op. 17 - La nuit close - Musical drama in three acts [1947-50]. Libretto by Georges Limbour - Dedicated to Françoise

Op. 85 - Labyrinthe - Musical drama in one-act [1969]. Libretto by René Leibowitz, after Baudelaire

Works for vocal soloist with orchestra or chamber ensemble:

Narrator, 2 pianos, Harp and Percussion:

Op. 15 - Explanation of Metaphors [1947] - to the memory of my brother

Baritone, Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, French horn, Harp, Violin, Viola and Cello:

Op. 38 - Serenade [1955] - Poems by Friedrich Hölderlin & Clemens Brentano

Soprano, Flute, Bass-clarinet, Celesta, Harp, Percussion, Violin and Viola:

Op. 41 - Capriccio [1956]

Soprano, Flute, Clarinet, Violin, Viola, Cello and Piano:

Op. 46 – Three Poems by Georges Limbour [1958]

Children’s voice, Clarinet, French horn, Cello and Piano:

Op. 76b - Chanson Dada - 3 melodramas [1966] - Excerpt from "De nos oiseaux" by Tristan Tzara

Narrator, Flute, Clarinet, Violin, Cello and Piano:

Op. 74 - Motifs [1967] - Texts by Georges Limbour

Soprano, Violin, Cello, Flute, Clarinet, Horn:

Op. 77 - Sonnet [1967] - Poem by E.E. Cummings

Vocal soloist with chamber ensemble:

Soprano and orchestra:

Op. 7 - Tourist's death - Concert aria [1949] - Poem by Archibald MacLeish

Soprano, piano and orchestra:

Op. 82 - Legend [1968] - Poem by Hart Crane

Narrator and Orchestra:

Op. 24 - Perpetuum mobile - The City - Dramatic Symphony [1951] - Poem by W. C. Williams

Vocal soloist with Orchestra:

Op. 89 - Scene and Aria [1970] - Poems by Georg Heym

I. Die Seiltänzer (The Tightrope Walkers)

II. Der Tod des Schauspielers (The death of the actor)

Works for Choir:

Mixed choir a capella:

Op. 13 - Empedokles [1948] - Poems by Hölderlin - Lucie Kahnweiller, in memoriam

Mixed choir with chamber ensemble:

Op. 21 - The Grip of the Given [1950] - for choir, horns, harp, trumpet, flute, clarinet, violin and cello - Poem by Lionel Abel - Dedicated to Sonia Brownell

Op. 37 - Three Pieces [1955] - Dedicated to Camillo Togni

1. La Notte - poem by Angelo Poliziano

2. Epigramma - poem by Torquato Tasso

3. A se stesso - poem by Giacomo Leopardi

Op. 40 - Le renégat [1956] - for choir, oboe, clarinet, bass-clarinet, french horn, violin I, violin II, viola, and cello - Poem by Lionel Abel - to the memory of my friend Peter Watson

Op. 71 - Two Settings after poems by William Blake [1966] - Dedicated to Mary-Jo

1. The Sick Rose

2. Never Seek to Tell Thy Love

Op. 88 - Laboratoire Central - Little Cantata [1970] for narrator, female chorus and 6 instruments - Poem by Max Jacob

Choir with Soloist(s) and chamber ensemble or orchestra:

Op. 33 - Träume vom Tod und vom Leben - Funeral Symphony [1954-55], based on a passage from Wortträume und Schwarze Sterne by Hans Arp - to the memory of Arnold Schönberg

Op. 68 - A Prayer - Symphonic Cantata for Contralto, Male Choir and Orchestra [1965] - Poem by James Joyce