Chants d'Auvergne

Chants d'Auvergne (French pronunciation: [ʃɑ dovɛːʁɲ]; English: Songs from the Auvergne) is a collection of folk songs from the Auvergne region of France arranged for soprano voice and orchestra or piano by Joseph Canteloube between 1923–1930. The songs are in the local language, Occitan. The best known of the songs is the "Baïlèro", which has been frequently recorded and performed in slight variations of Canteloube's arrangement, such as for choir or instrumental instead of the original soprano solo.

The first recording, of eleven of the songs, was by Madeleine Grey in 1930. The songs are part of the standard repertoire and have been recorded by many singers.

The melodic elements of two of these songs, “Baïlèro” and “Obal, din lou limouzi (La-bas dans le limousin)”, were incorporated into William Walton's soundtrack for Laurence Olivier's film Henry V.

The Five Series

1st Series

• “La pastoura als camps (La bergère aux champs)”
• “Baïlèro (Chant de bergers de Haute-Auvergne)”
• “Trois bourrées”
  • “L'aio de rotso (L'eau de source)”
  • “Ound'onoren gorda ? (Où irons-nous garder?)”
  • “Obal, din lou limouzi (La-bas dans le limousin)”

2nd Series

• “Pastourelle”
• “L'Antouèno (L'Antoine)”
• “La pastrouletta e lou chibalie (La bergère et le cavalier)”
• “La delaïssádo (La delaissée)”
• “Deux bourrées”
  • “N'ai pas ieu de mio (Je n'ai pas d'amie)”
  • “Lo calhe (La caille)”

3rd Series

• “Lo fiolairé (La fileuse)”
• “Passo pel prat (Viens par le pré)”
• “Lou boussu (Le bossu)”
• “Brezairola (Berceuse)”
• “Malurous qu'o uno fenno (Malheureux qui a une femme)”

4th Series

• “Jou l'Pount d'o Mirabel (Au Pont de Mirabel)”
• “Oï ayaï”
• “Pour l'enfant”
• “Chut, chut”
• “Pastorale”
• “Lou coucut (Le coucou)”

5th Series

• “Obal, din lo coumbèlo(Au loin, la-bas dans la vallée)”
• “Quan z'eyro petitoune (Lorsque j'étais petite)”
• “Là-haut, sur le rocher”
• “Hé! beyla-z-y dau fé! (Hé! donne-lui du foin!)”
• “Postouro, se tu m'aymo (Bergère si tu m'aimes)”
• “Tè, l'co tè (Va, l'chien, va!)”
• “Uno jionto postouro (Reg Ret) (Une jolie bergère)”
• “Lou diziou bé (On dirait bien)”

Recordings

• Anna Moffo
• Madeleine Grey
• Victoria de los Ángeles
• Dawn Upshaw
• Kiri Te Kanawa
• Frederica von Stade
• Véronique Gens (Complete full orchestral version)
• Netania Davrath
• Sarah Brightman
• Elysium, with the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra (Decca, 2001)
• Maria Bayo with the Sinfonica De Tenerife conducted by Pablo-Perez

References