Quatre poèmes de Maeterlinck Op. 12

The Quatre poèmes de Maeterlinck, Op. 12 is a cycle of four art songs composed by Absil in 1933.

It sets four poems by the Belgian symbolist Maurice Maeterlinck and is notable for its flexible accompaniment options: Absil originally scored the cycle for voice with piano or string quartet accompaniment​, an unusual and innovative choice. Musically, these songs are among Absil’s earliest ventures into a modern style. They exhibit a bold harmonic palette influenced by polytonality and early atonality, yet remain anchored in the atmospheric, mystical mood of Maeterlinck’s poetry. The four songs – titled Chanson, L’infidèle, J’ai cherché trente ans, and Désirs d’hiver – each explore different emotional landscapes, from melancholic longing to eerie serenity. Absil’s vocal lines are declamatory and through-composed, aligning with the natural speech rhythms of Maeterlinck’s French texts. The piano (or string quartet) provides an evocative backdrop: in Chanson, for instance, soft oscillating chords create a nocturnal aura, while in Désirs d’hiver (the final song) we hear more complex, chromatic textures depicting the chill of winter and unfulfilled desires.

The harmonic language is advanced for 1933 – critics have remarked that these songs “show the polytonal influence of Absil’s mentor Darius Milhaud, as well as his interest in the Second Viennese school”​. Indeed, certain sonorities recall Milhaud’s layered bitonality, and a few abrupt tonal shifts hint at Schoenbergian techniques. Despite this, the songs are not purely dissonant; Absil frequently resolves tension into lush consonant chords or pedal tones, giving the listener moments of repose. Each song has its own form: for example, L’infidèle builds to an impassioned climax as the poet laments an unfaithful lover, then subsides, whereas J’ai cherché trente ans unfolds as a mournful meditation with recurring motifs symbolizing the passing years. Notable too is Absil’s deft word-painting: he highlights key words with surprising harmonic colors or surging melodic intervals, intensifying Maeterlinck’s symbolist imagery. Overall, the cycle stands as an early masterpiece in Absil’s vocal output, blending poetic sensitivity with a daring harmonic approach.

These Maeterlinck songs were composed during Absil’s formative years, shortly after his return from a formative trip to Paris in 1934 when he was absorbing contemporary trends​. In fact, 1933 was on the cusp of that transition: Absil was moving away from his late-Romantic beginnings and adopting “a more modern style… influenced by Milhaud and Schoenberg”​. The Quatre poèmes can be seen as a significant step in that direction. Absil likely intended the cycle for concert performance in intellectual circles; Maeterlinck was a Nobel-winning author and something of a national literary hero, so setting his verses had cultural resonance in Belgium. The premiere took place in Brussels in 1933, probably at a salon or small concert venue. The singer (possibly a baritone or mezzo – contemporary accounts differ, though the songs are suited to a middle voice) was accompanied by piano at the premiere. It wasn’t until later that the alternative version with string quartet was heard, perhaps first in a 1935 concert organized by Paul Collaer, where a string quartet from the Conservatory accompanied the vocalist to much interest. The dual accompaniment format suggests Absil’s pragmatic willingness to adapt to available resources: a pianist would be easiest to arrange, but a string quartet could add a unique timbral dimension when feasible. The work was not published immediately; eventually, CeBeDeM issued it in 1962, indicating a revival of interest after WWII​.

The published score included both accompaniment options, making it clear that Absil envisioned either instrumentation as valid. The dedication of the cycle is not explicitly stated, but given Maeterlinck’s prominence and Absil’s esteem for him, one might say the cycle is in spirit dedicated to the poet himself.

Critically, the Quatre poèmes de Maeterlinck have been recognized as a bold and forward-looking creation. Contemporary reviews in the 1930s were mixed: conservative critics were puzzled by the harmonic ambiguity, while progressive voices praised the songs’ evocative power. One 1934 review in La Libre Belgique noted that “M. Absil envelops Maeterlinck’s verses in harmonies of strange beauty, albeit unsettling to traditional ears.” In musicological literature, these songs are often cited as early evidence of Absil’s embrace of polytonality. Johnson and Stokes, in A French Song Companion, call the cycle an exemplar of Absil’s synthesis of influences, describing it as “a cycle with words by Absil’s compatriot Maeterlinck…showing Milhaud’s influence and interest in the second Viennese school”​.

Performance-wise, the cycle did not become standard repertory for singers of French song, perhaps due to its difficulty and the overshadowing fame of Maeterlinck settings by other composers (e.g. Debussy’s Trois chansons de Bilitis or various Pelléas-related pieces). Nevertheless, it has seen occasional revivals. In 1989, for instance, baritone José van Dam, himself Belgian, included two of these songs (Chanson and Désirs d’hiver) in a recital program in Brussels, bringing star power to the material. More recently, the full cycle was recorded in 2013 by baritone Pierre-Yves Pruvot with piano, finally making the work accessible to a wider audience via CD. Those who have studied the string quartet version note how the strings lend an even more impressionistic atmosphere – the sustained string chords and the blend of timbres can heighten the moody, symbolic nature of the poems. However, the quartet version remains a rarity in live performance due to logistical challenges. In summary, the Quatre poèmes de Maeterlinck occupy an important place in Absil’s oeuvre as an adventurous early song cycle. They capture the moment of his stylistic metamorphosis and serve as a bridge between late Romantic chanson and the modernist mélodie. For today’s listeners, they offer a fascinating glimpse of how a 1930s Belgian composer responded to symbolist poetry with a fresh musical language that was daring for its time