Boulanger, Complete Works for Solo Piano
This week’s performance pick presents all of the solo piano works by Lili Boulanger (1893-1918), her Prelude in D-flat major (1911), Trois Morceaux (1914), and Theme and Variations (1915).
Lili’s older sister, Nadia Boulanger (1887-1979), became perhaps the foremost teacher of composition in the 20th century. Her name pops up on these pages quite a few times as we discussed those who studied with her or sought to. Nadia would be the third generation of Boulanger family who became professor of composition at the Paris Conservatory.
Both Nadia and Lili were able to study from a young age with teachers at the Conservatory. As Nadia was studying at age 9 for her entrance exams, Lili (six years younger) would sit in on Nadia’s lessons. The two sisters were quite close. Lili suffered from tuberculosis from the age of two, and Nadia took part in her care. Lili’s death in 1918 contributed to Nadia’s drive to succeed, as Nadia wrote in her diary in 1919, “I place this new year before you, my little beloved Lili–may it see me fulfill my duty towards you–so that it is less terrible for Mother and that I try to resemble you.”
Lili won the Prix de Rome in 1913, the first female composer to achieve that distinction. Nadia had competed for the prize several times before. Their father, Ernest Boulanger (1815-1900) had won the prize in 1835. The prize entitled the winner to study in Rome for 3-5 years, but Lili’s tenure there was cut short by the outbreak of World War I.
Boulanger’s music bears many similarities with her contemporaries, Fauré and Debussy. The pianist Duco Burgers has made an introductory video to these pieces that you may find helpful and interesting.