Lili Boulanger (1893-1918) France
- andreachamizoalber
- Aug 31, 2025
- 1 min read
Composer, but she also played the violin, cello, harp, piano, and organ. At age 6, she began studying harmony, and her sister Nadia introduced her to the art of fugue. In 1913, she entered the Prix du Rome and won, becoming the first woman to win the award. The work was her cantata Faust et Hélène, dedicated to her sister. It comes with a link to download the score.
At age 2, she suffered pneumonia, which permanently damaged her immune system, affecting her life and musical output. Her short life expectancy may have been the reason why many of her works were religious or biblically inspired. War also influenced her choice of texts in her works, as can be seen in "Vieille prière bouddhique," whose text is a Buddhist prayer for peace and goodness. I'm sharing this work along with the link to download the score.
She died at the age of 24 from what is now known as Crohn's disease. Throughout her life, she received the unconditional support of her sister, Nadia, without whom she probably would not have been able to achieve so much in such a short life. Her works reflect her state of mind, marked by many periods of depression. She was influenced by Fauré and Debussy, but in addition to the French style of the early 20th century, she also displayed avant-garde tendencies, as you can see in his Psalm 130. The link to download the score is below.
Here is her Nocturne for violin and piano.
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