The hermeneutic study of the musical and poetic texts in the vocal music by E. Chausson

Abstract

This study proposes an exploration of the symbolism within the works of Ernest Chausson’s of the vocal music, as an example we choose cycle “Poem of Love and the Sea”, (words by Maurice Bouchor) the application of hermeneutic methodology and analysis of the work’s intonational dramaturgy. The uniqueness of the composer’s conception, combined with the multi-layered structure of the poetic text, drives researchers to interpret the hidden symbolic levels inherent in this vocal cycle. As a result of the analysis, it is concluded that the meaning of “Poème” is grounded in core principles: the duality of the real and the otherworldly, expressed through the embodiment of hidden meanings via symbols; Romanticism and Symbolism, manifested in the observed unity between nature and human, as well as in the mystical visions of the lyrical protagonist. An analysis of the poetic text reveals Bouchor’s clear inclination toward phonetic play, the understanding of which helps unveil the symbolic essence of the entire work. The interaction of the idealistic with the realistic, the pictorial exterior with the concealed interior, is likewise evident in musical text and is revealed through the dominance of two overarching intonational graphemes. The musical and poetic levels of the vocal cycle are combined thanks to a common symbolic basis, particularly through the use of symbolism of pictorial origin. This symbolism is decoded in the musical text through principles of the painter Gustave Moreau. The fusion of poetic and musical symbolism results in mutual amplification, thereby enriching the symbolic content of the vocal cycle as a synthesis of the arts.