Paul Valéry and Music
A Study of the Techniques of Composition in Valéry's Poetry

This 1984 book was the first to investigate the implications of Paul Valéry's interest in the relationship between music and poetry.

Brian Stimpson (Author)

9780521168335, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 29 March 2012

354 pages
21.6 x 14 x 2 cm, 0.45 kg

This 1984 book was the first to investigate the full implications of Paul Valéry's interest in the relationship between music and poetry. The book is more of a survey of all that Valéry had to say on music; it examines in detail the influence of such music upon his work as a poet. The structure of the book comprises three distinct phases of argument. In the first part Dr Stimpson details Valéry's contacts with the major developments in twentieth-century French music, and reveals particularly close relationshops with a number of outstanding composers and performers. Part II explores Valéry's theoretical consideration of the links between music and poetry. The third section studies the musical techniques in Valéry's poetry - melody, harmonics, rhythm, musique verbale, and recitative. This will be an important book for serious students of Valéry's poetry and all those interested in the relationship between poetry and music.

Part I. Valéry's Musical Environment
Part II. Music and Poetry: 1. Music as a language of the emotions
2. Music as a language of the mind
3. The theory of composition: Wagner and the universal mind
4. Valéry and Stravinsky
Part III. Musical Techniques in Valéry's poetry: 5. Composition
6. Melody
7. Les Harmoniques
8. Rhythm
9. La musique verbale
10. Recitative
11. La Dormeuse
Conclusion
Appendix: the composition of La Pythie
Notes
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Literary studies: poetry & poets [DSC]