Deux Poèmes de Francis Jammes Op. 53

The Deux Poèmes de Francis Jammes, Op. 53 are a pair of art songs for voice and piano that Absil composed in 1942​.

As their title indicates, they set two poems by the French poet Francis Jammes. The first song, L’évier sent fort (“The Sink Smells Strong”), is a strikingly quirky piece: Jammes’s text is a whimsical, almost prosaic observation of a smelly kitchen sink, and Absil responds with music of sly humor and charm. He uses bitonal harmonies and staccato rhythms in the piano to paint the comic domestic scene, while the vocal line wends its way in a mock-serious declamation. The second song, Si un beau jour (“If One Fine Day”), contrasts the first – it is lyrical and nostalgic in tone, setting a Jammes poem of gentle reflection. Here Absil’s harmonic language is more straightforward, tending toward modal melodies over lush, extended tertian chords in the piano. Both songs are relatively short (the entire set lasts about four minutes) and feature clear structures: each has repeated refrains that give a sense of form within the brevity​.

Musicologically, these songs exemplify Absil’s mid-career style in vocal music: melodically inventive and harmonically adventurous yet rooted in the text’s imagery. The influence of folk song and popular chant can be felt in the simple, diatonic turns of phrase (especially in Si un beau jour), even as the accompaniment introduces unexpected dissonances. The piano often provides illustrative effects – for instance, bubbling figures in L’évier sent fort that suggest water or suds. Despite the light subject matter, Absil’s craftsmanship is evident: he balances wit and sentiment, and his vocal lines are grateful to sing, staying mostly within a comfortable range for a high voice (the songs are intended for soprano or tenor)​.

Absil wrote these Deux Poèmes in 1942, during the difficult years of World War II and German occupation of Belgium. It’s likely that the choice of Jammes’s poetry, known for its simplicity and devotional innocence, was a deliberate turn towards intimate and consoling art in troubled times. The songs were dedicated to the Belgian soprano Clara Collaer (wife of musicologist Paul Collaer), who was a noted interpreter of contemporary song; she probably gave the first performance in a private salon concert in Brussels around 1942–43. The atmosphere of wartime meant public concerts were limited, so these songs may have been first heard in semi-private gatherings of musicians and intellectuals.

In terms of reception, the Jammes songs are relatively little-known, even among Absil’s works. A contemporary reviewer in 1943 (writing for the Brussels musical periodical La Musique) described them as “two high-quality mélodies which remain virtually unknown to the public, no doubt because of the odd subject of the first piece”​. Indeed, L’évier sent fort raised eyebrows for its mundane, even comical text – hardly typical fare for an art song. This may have limited the cycle’s early performance life; singers perhaps hesitated to program a song about a smelly sink. However, those who have performed the songs often remark on their charm and effectiveness. In recent years, there has been a modest revival of interest: the Deux Poèmes were recorded in 2014 by soprano Anne-Catherine Gillet on a recital of Belgian songs (Fuga Libera label), bringing these miniatures to a wider audience for the first time.

Critics noted the clever word painting and found the set “refreshingly unpretentious,” highlighting how Si un beau jour in particular is a little gem of lyrical writing. The New Consonant Music edition of the score praises the songs’ melodic quality but acknowledges their obscurity, humorously pointing to the “pretty strange” nature of the first song’s text as a probable cause​. Today, Absil’s Deux Poèmes de Francis Jammes remain a curiosity and a delight: a tiny diptych that captures, in miniature, his ability to blend simplicity with sophistication. They serve as a reminder of Absil’s lighter side and his sensitivity to poetry, even the most humble of poetic subjects​.