1893-1918
Lili Boulanger is probably best known as the younger sister of the famous Fontainebleau composition teacher Nadia Boulanger.
The younger Boulanger is another tale of a too-early tragic death. Weakened by an early case of pneumonia, she eventually succumbed to gastrointestinal tuberculosis, and apparently suffered from Crohn's disease as well.
All of these illnesses would be terrible to deal with today; one can only imagine what she endured at the turn of the 20th Century.
Unsurprisingly, she has a relatively small output of compositions, yet each are a gem. Boulanger has a strong French musical voice, yet what surprises me most are the muscular sounds she elicits and the thick orchestrations she sets.
Her choral/orchestral Psalms should all be explored, and she has a number of lovely songs to be sampled as well.
Recordings and reviews currently on hand (Click below to visit):
1995: Psalms (1960)
1999: Faust et Helene
2007: Orchestral Works
2007: Songs
2018: Choral Works