An Introduction to French Art Songs with Mari Esabel Valverde’s arrangement of Hébé by Ernest Chausson
This past fall, my treble ensemble dug into Mari Esabel Valverde’s arrangement of Hébé by Ernest Chausson. The rich harmonies, flowing French poetry by Louise Ackerman, and beautiful interpretation and voice leading by Valverde make this piece a gorgeous Romantic-Era addition to any choral concert. Below, I discuss the following aspects of Mari Esabel Valverde’s arrangement of Hébé by Ernest Chausson:
- Get to Know Composer Ernest Chausson
- An Introduction to Hébé’s Arranger, Mari Esabel Valverde
- Meet the Poet: Louise Ackermann
- The Basics of French Art Song
- Who is Hébé?
Are you teaching Hébé arranged by Mari Esabel Valverde to your ensemble or want your group to get to know the piece in addition to their repertoire? Don’t forget to take a look at my Hébé Teacher Resources.
“Hébé Goes On Her Way”
This past summer, I interviewed composer Mari Esabel Valverde for the Inspired Choir Summer Summit. Pretty quickly, I knew that I wanted to feature her work on our Treble Ensemble’s Fall Concert. Her incredible grasp of language, music, and poetry along with her world view have led to some pretty incredible choral works.
I was so excited when I found Valverde’s arrangement of Hébé by Ernest Chausson, as it fit perfectly into our “Main Character Energy” themed Fall Concert. Keep reading to learn about composer Ernest Chausson, composer/arranger Mari Esabel Valverde, poet Louise Ackermann, some basic fundamentals of French Art Song, and the story of our main character Hébé.
Featured Composer: Ernest Chausson
French composer Ernest Chausson was born in Paris in 1855 to a well-off family. At his father’s insistence, he studied law and became a lawyer in 1876, however music was always his true passion. Just a few years later, he entered the Paris Conservatory to study music with Jules Massenet and César Franck.
Chausson and his wife Jeanne often hosted gatherings or events called “salons.” At the salons, attendees, including prominent figures from all of the arts would discuss topics like art, history, music, and philosophy. Perhaps Chausson’s enjoyment of the salon is why so much of his music is composed for individuals or chamber ensembles.
Music scholars often divide Chausson’s music into three compositional periods. Hébé comes from his first compositional period, created in 1882 as part of his Opus 2, entitled “Seven Melodies.” As a composer, Chausson experienced self-doubt and difficulty in expressing his emotions through his music as effectively as he desired. Often, this struggle came through in his early music as melancholy, sorrow, decadence, and despair.
Learn more about Ernest Chausson and his work here.
Featured Arranger: Mari Esabel Valverde
Mari Esabel Valverde is an award-winning composer who has been commissioned by dozens of ensembles. A singer, educator, adjudicator, and translator, Mari Esabel Valverde has studied, sung with ensembles, and composed for singers around the world. Proficient in Spanish, French, and Brazilian Portuguese, Valverde’s passion for languages likely led her to arranging Chausson’s Hébé.
As an in-demand composer, Valverde has written quite the variety of choral works. Some of her other choral pieces include:
- Look Down, Fair Moon – Premiered in 2023, this is a nocturne for SATB chorus and piano inspired by poetry contemporary with the American Civil War.
- De Colores – “The countryside is dressed in color in the springtime!” Mari Esabel Valverde arranged this traditional folk text for SA chorus, soprano solo, and piano.
- We Hold Your Names Sacred – Commissioned for the GALA Choruses #SingForTWOC Project, this piece honors the lives of 12 women transgender women of color.
Check out Mari Esabel Valverde’s website here for more information about her, her work, and upcoming events.
Featured Poet: Louise Ackermann
Louise-Victorine Ackermann was a French poet born in Paris in 1813. The daughter of an Encylopédist, Ackermann was taught from a young age to embrace the advancement of science and secular thought.
While living with her sister in Nice, France, Ackermann penned her first two volumes of poetry, published in 1855 and 1862. These first two works, Contes en vers and Contes et poésies included poignant poems that touched on themes such as love, loss, and nature. Hébé appears in the latter volume.
Through her later work, Ackermann expressed feminist and anti-war sentiments, which many viewed as radical during her time. She was known for her sombre and melancholic tone, especially as she expressed her hatred for human suffering.
Sing me a Mélodie!
Also known as a mélodie, the Romantic-era French Art Song became popular in the 19th century. The French equivalent of the German lied, the mélodie was a setting of a lyric poem for solo voice and piano. They were very popular in salons: intimate domestic parties that were the center of Parisian social life.
Mélodies often portrayed heady Romantic ideals and symbolism, featuring poetry of great poets of the day. Romantic-era French composers like Chausson were known to create a close relationship between the text and the melody. Other composers to write Romantic-era French Art songs included Berlioz, Liszt, Saint-Saën, Fauré, and Franck (Chausson’s teacher).
The Story of Hébé
In the 18th and 19th century, many Romantic-era artists found inspiration from Greek and Roman mythological figures. Cupbearer of the gods, handmaiden of Hera, daughter of Zeus and Hera, bride of Heracles, goddess of youth and brides, the Greek figure Hebe was just one of these many inspirational mythological figures.
Also known and worshipped in Rome as “Juventas,” Hebe was most well known for serving ambrosia and nectar to the other gods. This ambrosia and nectar was believed to be the source of their everlasting youthfulness. It is this role that Ackermann highlighted in her poetic portrayal of Hébé. Check out the lyrics and translation here.
Hebe is also known for being the wife of Greek hero Heracles (also known as Hercules). Together, they had two sons who were the physical protectors on Mount Olympus.
Complementary Pieces
Want to listen to other pieces like Hébé? Or planning a concert and need some programming ideas? Here are a few complementary pieces!
Looking for rearrangements of some Classics? Check out these posts!
- Celebrate Mozart with Patrick M. Liebergen’s arrangement of Viva! from Il Re Pastore
- A Guide to Quest of the Kings arranged by Jacob Narverud
- Get to Know On My Journey Now Arranged by Brandon Waddles
Other repertoire I’ve programmed with Mari Esabel Valverde’s arrangement of Hébé by Ernest Chausson this “Main Character Energy” themed concert cycle:
- The Girl with the Numbers by Marie-Claire Saindon
- Though Philomela Lost her Love by Thomas Morley
- Marie Madeleine arr. Jeanette Gallant
- Sing, Wearing the Sky by Jake Runestad
I’d Love to Hear from You!
Have you sung or conducted Mari Esabel Valverde’s arrangement of Hébé by Ernest Chausson with your choir? What were your challenges and triumphs? Let me know in the comments below!
Hébé Teacher Resources!
FREE Hébé Reading Comprehension Worksheet
Reading Comprehension Worksheets pull five key points from the blog post above. Additionally, they ask singers to consider musical decisions they can make with the info from this post. Fill in the form below and get a link to a folder including the Hébé worksheet.
Singing in A Different Language Worksheet
Check out the Inspired Choir Shop for the Singing in A Different Language Worksheet. Utilizing this worksheet, singers will:
- Examine the characteristics of the language in which they are singing
- Consider the ways in which the composer has highlighted the language in their work
- Anticipate challenges of singing in the language
- Interpret the meaning of their piece
- Prepare their score with the appropriate annotations