Lili Boulanger: Psalm 130

About this episode

This episode explores the life and works of Lili Boulanger, a talented composer whose career was hindered by chronic illness and whose music is experiencing a resurgence in interest.

The story of Lili Boulanger's life is one of the most fascinating and tragic in all of musical history. A remarkably precocious talent, Boulanger learned to read sheet music before the alphabet, played the violin, piano, cello, and harp, and composed regularly from a young age. Despite her talent and commitment, Boulanger suffered from chronic illness her entire life, which severely dampened her budding career and prevented her from reaching her potential. She died at the age of just 24, likely from Crohn's disease, and left behind several spectacular pieces that unfortunately were soon relatively forgotten. Boulanger's sister, Nadia, became one of the preeminent composition teachers of the 20th century, working with luminaries such as Aaron Copland, Elliott Carter, David Diamond, Philip Glass, Astor Piazzolla, and many more. But throughout the 20th century there was very little interest in Lili Boulanger's musical output. That has changed somewhat with a renewed focus on bringing the works of female composers to the stage, and this has led to an explosion of performances of a few works, specifically Boulanger's brilliant short orchestral pieces D'un Matin de Printemps and D'un…

People in this episode

Host: Joshua Weilerstein

Topics covered

• Lili Boulanger
• female composers
• classical music history
• chronic illness
• choral music
• musical legacy

Keywords

• Lili Boulanger
• Psalm 130
• female composers
• classical music
• choral pieces
• musical history
• Nadia Boulanger

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Psalm 130, D'un Matin de Printemps, D'un Soir Triste

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