La parure éphémère consists of four poems by Yves Bonnefoy taken from the collection Début et fin de la neige. It begins with a narrator, accompanied by distant songs, set against the backdrop of snow, its purity, its fragility and transience (“à ce flocon qui sur ma main se pose…”), and leads us to one of those sculptures where Virgin Mary is represented with humanity protecting itself in the folds of her cloak. This image continues with the voice of a narrator (the Madonna?): “You are going, with your heart beating, into the great snow”.
The third part of the cycle, Madone de miséricorde (a secular poem about a sculpture), has been performed many times by choirs from several countries.
Recordings, audio exerpts: CD ‘Sur la terre simple’, Label Inconnu LI 09-0301, distribution Codæx. Mikrokosmos soloists, conducted by Loïc Pierre.
Difficulty rating: moderate to difficult depending on the parts (Madone de Miséricorde: medium difficulty)
Yves Bonnefoy
Texts collected and put into a booklet by the composer.
French
Vocal ensemble with 6 mixed voices SMATBtB and 2 narrators (male, female)
This work can also be performed by a mixed choir
duration : 9 mins approx.
Cycle in 4 parts : « Première neige », « A ce flocon … », « Madone de miséricorde », « Il neige »