To listen press on the audio player below
(you can also download the file –
click on the three dots on the right):

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Fauré‘s last song cycle, L’horizon chimérique, sung by its original interpreter, Charles Panzéra:

1. La mer est infinie et mes rêves sont fous
0:00
2. Je me suis embarqué sur un vasseau qui danse
1:18
3. Diane, Séléné lune de beau métal
3:36
4. Vaisseux, nous vous aurons aimés en pure perte
5:06

poems by Jean de la Ville de Mirmont.
(click on a title for the original text plus an English translation,
or a timing to hear that individual song)

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By way of contrast, John Ireland‘s setting of John Masefield’s famous poem:

Sea Fever text

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How do you prevent a punch-up in the pub? Get everyone singing, how else? Britten‘s Peter Grimes:

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Debussy‘s ear at its best. The – for me – almost miraculous end of Act 1 of Pelléas et Mélisande (not too sure about the graphics, though).

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More Britten. the crew of the Indomitable not mutinying but sharing a sea-song in Billy Budd:

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Careful who you invite to your party; some guests can turn out to be just diabolical! Wagner‘s Flying Dutchman‘s crew ruin a good get-together:

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Lotte Lenya, brilliantly terrifying as Brecht and Weill‘s Pirate Jenny. This is the English American language version which differs significantly from the original German. You can see that, and a fairly literal translation of it, below:

Original text in German with English translation

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An antidote.

Join the happy queue of Watteau and Poulenc‘s passengers as they wait to set sail for the joyous isle of Cythera (got your embarkation card ready?)

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