“Le Testament” (1926)

E3h

Ezra Pound

Ezra Pound’s principal musical composition, a oneact opera (referred to also as “Villon” and “The Testament of Frangois Villon”) was written in Paris during 1920, 1921, and 1922. The libretto is taken from the poems of Villon, with ballades and rondeaux providing material for the arias, sung in the original French. Brief spoken passages in English, partly translated from Villon, partly written by Pound, provide continuity. A summary of the action and an analysis of the music, including four short examples, are given in Murray Schafer’s “Ezra Pound and Music” in Canadian Music Journal, V. 4 (Summer 1961) 3541. Except for the song “Suivez, beautez,” taken from the Collection Yvette Guilbert in the arrangement of Gustave Ferrari (see B3), and “Mére au Sauveur,” from the /esternae Rosae (see Bs), the music is entirely by Pound. Two songs from the opera, “Mort, j’appelle” and “Je renye amours,” were included in the RudgeAntheil concert at the Salle Pleyel, Paris, 7 July 1924 (P), performed by Yves Tinayre, tenor, and Olga Rudge, violin. A concert (commonly referred to as the “premiere” of the opera), entitled “Paroles de Villon: Airs and Fragments from an Opera Le Testament,” was given at the Salle Pleyel, Paris, 29 June 1926 (P), by Yves Tinayre, tenor, Robert Maitland, bass, Olga Rudge, violin, and Paul Tinayre, horn. For this concert, the Pounds in midJune distributed a flier, measuring 21 X 13:3 cm., headed: “M. et Mme Ezra Pound vous invite 4 une audition privée Paroles de Villon ... ,” giving the programme “(probablement),” and ending: “admet [space for number to be written in] personnes On vous prie de présenter cette fiche Salle Pleyel. 29 Juin, gh.15 du soir E.P” The French text of the selections included in the programme was printed as a stapled pamphlet, measuring 29 X 192 cm., collating [7] pp., with title: Paroles de Villon Musique dEyra Pound ... Salle Pleyel 28 Juin 1926 ([Paris, 1926]). Four songs from the opera were sung by Robert Maitland, accompanied by Olga Rudge on the violin, at the home of Mrs. Christian Gross, Paris, 12 July 1926 (P). In connexion with preparations for the 1926 concerts, Ezra Pound had the two songs “Mort, j’appelle” and “Je renye amours” engraved in February of that year. One hundred plate proofs, bearing the page numbers “23” and “45,” and the plate number “15032,” and measuring 33.5 X 27 cm., were pulled. (One set is marked by Pound: “proofs. private circulation only.’) These proofs are reproduced, much reduced, as pp. [25] of the following pamphlet printed apparently for the 1926 concerts: E3h(1) Two Songs from Ezra Pound’s Opera Le Testament. Paroles de Villon. 1—Ythier’s Song: Mort, j’appelle. 2—Le Galant: Je renye amours. As presented at the Salle Pleyel, Paris, July 7, 1924, by Yves Tinayre — tenor, Olga Rudge — violin. The violin accompaniment was written for the concert and makes no attempt to condense or to represent the orchestration intended for use in the opera. [Paris? 1926?] [5] pp. 1 blank leaf. 225 x 14 cm. Printed June? 1926?; number of copies unknown. The “Heaulmiére,” one of the principal arias of the opera, was included (sung by tenor singing falsetto) in the concert at the Salle Pleyel, 29 June 1926 (P). It was printed, in facsimile of Olga Rudge’s manuscript, in Townsman, |. 2 (Apr. 1938) 12—16—C1448, and was reprinted in New Directions in Prose and Poetry, 3 (1938) [16872]—C1448 x., and in Guide to Kulchur ([1953])—Aase, d—pp. 3615. A second, much more complete, performance of the opera, largely rearranged for violin accompaniment, was given by the B.B.C., 26 and 27 Oct. 1931. For this production, Ezra Pound supplied dialogue in “hobo language.” The libretto was reproduced from typewritten copy: E3h(2) “The Testament of Francois Villon” a Melodrama by Ezra Pound. Words by Francois Villon. Music by Ezra Pound. [London, B.B.C., 1931] 2 leaves, 212 numbered leaves. 325 X 20cm. Punched and fastened at upper left. A third performance of the opera, in a version edited by Murray Schafer, using the same dialogue as in 1931, was broadcast, also by the B.B.C., in June 1962, and was repeated in August. The first American performance of the opera was presented by the Western Opera Theater (the touring and educational wing of the San Francisco Opera) at the Zellerbach Auditorium of the University of California at Berkeley, 13 Nov. 1971 (P). For this production, Pound’s staging and costuming instructions and the complete, original score (except for the accompaniments to Nos. 9 and 11, which were missing and were supplied by Murray Schafer for No. 9 and by Robert Hughes for No. 11) were utilised. Fragments of Villon’s text were made use of at points where Pound indicated (but did not supply) dialogue in the original manuscript. The libretto, with English translations of the songs by Peter Dale Scott, was reproduced from typewritten copy on 14 pages, stapled at the top, measuring 28 X 216 cm. (For the Fantasy Records’ recording of this production see E5g.) The complete opera was performed as part of the Holland Festival in 1980. (For the Philips recording of this production see E5g.) In 1965, the opera was staged by Gian Carlo Menotti as a ballet, choreographed by John Butler, presented as one of the “Rarita Musicali” of the Eighth Festival of Two Worlds at the Teatro Caio Melisso, Spoleto, Italy, on 14, 16, and 17 July (P). A revised, reduced orchestration by Lee Hoiby and Stanley Hollingsworth was used, with the singers in the orchestra pit.

Artefacts