What is the «thoughtfulness» of musical lyrics?

- · 13.01.2026

Original article
DOI: 10.56620/2227-9997-2025-4-77-97

Irina S. Stogniy

Gnesin Russian Academy of Music, Moscow, Russia,
istogniy@mail.ru, https://orcid.org/0009-0000-7140-959Х
Abstract: This article attempts to understand the content of F. Poulenc’s vocal cycle «The Artist’s Work,» based on the poems of Paul Éluard. The seven parts of the cycle are dedicated to 20th-century avant-garde artists, including P. Picasso, M. Chagall, J. Braque, H. Gris, P. Klee, J. Miró, and J. Villon. The resulting intertext is interesting for its interplay between three spheres: poetry, painting, and music, on the one hand, and Poulenc’s emphasis on the characteristic qualities inherent in the musical «portrait» of each artist, on the other. The composer employs various techniques, recreating the techniques of Cubism and Surrealism. The musical concept and its execution evoke an association with the phenomenon called «pensive text» by R. Barthes.

Keywords: Poulenc, Eluard, vocal cycle, intertext, painting, poetry, music, cubism, surrealism, text

For citation: Stogniy I. S. What is the «thoughtfulness» of musical lyrics? Scholarly papers of Gnesin Russian Academy of Music. 2025;(4):77-97. (In Russ.). DOI: 10.56620/2227-9997-2025-4-77-97
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