FRIDAY MUSIC: Paul Verlain - French records, by JD

I have been listening recently to the CD “La Chanson Bien Douce” which featured the poetry of Paul Verlaine set to music by Billy Cowie and sung by Cathryn and Lucie Robson. I included two of the songs in a music post a couple of years ago – https://theylaughedatnoah.blogspot.com/2017/06/friday-music-billy-cowie-by-jd.html

And I have noticed that YouTube has been ‘recommending’ other music set to the words of Paul Verlaine’s poetry -
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Verlaine-Paul

A lot of it is very good and I had not realised until now that Debussy’s ‘Clair de Lune’ was inspired by Verlaine’s poem of that title so I have included that also, played by Debussy himself in 1913. All very inspiring and a pleasant interlude in this troubled world.

Clair de lune

“Votre âme est un paysage choisi
Que vont charmant masques et bergamasques
Jouant du luth et dansant et quasi
Tristes sous leurs déguisements fantasques.

Tout en chantant sur le mode mineur
L’amour vainqueur et la vie opportune,
Ils n’ont pas l’air de croire à leur bonheur
Et leur chanson se mêle au clair de lune,

Au calme clair de lune triste et beau,
Qui fait rêver les oiseaux dans les arbres
Et sangloter d’extase les jets d’eau,
Les grands jets d’eau sveltes parmi les marbres.”

Paul Verlaine