# Germaine Tailleferre



## eugeneonagain (May 14, 2017)

Germaine Tailleferre (19 April 1892 - 7 November 1983) Biography here at Wikipedia.

Along with Louis Durey she is one of the least remembered members of 'Les Six' - and the only woman. Her output was far greater than Durey's, including a lot of music for the harp which remains in the repertoire.

I am putting her here because I am taking part in a musical evening next week and some her music is being played. There is a string quartet playing her brief, but delightful three-movement quartet. Her sonata for violin is also being played.

Even though I was familiar with some of her regular chamber music and piano pieces, I hadn't listened to much of her other work. I recently listened to the works for harp: a sonata, _Le petit livre de harpe de Madame Tardieu_written for the Assistant harp Professor at the Paris Conservatoire Caroline Luigini. Also a piano concerto; a song cycle (Chansons Populaires Francaises).

The early work, centred around the pre and post-first world war Paris scene, differs from the later work. A great deal of her music has, to my ears, a late-Baroque/early classical sound and some medieval influence.


----------



## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

The 1928 _Concertino for Harp and Orchestra_ is a favorite of mine.


----------



## Pat Fairlea (Dec 9, 2015)

Her Violin Sonata is lovely. I think Taillefaire is seriously under-rated.


----------

