arts
January 1, 2026
Boulanger: La Ville Morte album review
Harvey/Rubin/Dennis/Williams/Talea Ensemble/Goren(Pentatone) This early work by Nadia Boulanger - better known as the influential teacher – was never performed and survived only in vocal score. Despite the best efforts of conductor Neal Goren and his hard-working cast it never quite coheres
TL;DR
- Nadia Boulanger was an influential teacher, conductor, and organist with early compositional ambitions.
- Her opera La Ville Morte, composed with Raoul Pugno, was based on a play by Gabriele D'Annunzio.
- The opera's premiere was canceled in 1914 due to World War I.
- The first recording of La Ville Morte uses a minimally orchestrated ensemble of 11 players.
- The opera is set in the ruins of Mycenae and features a story of archaeologists.
- Musical influences include Wagner, Fauré, and early Debussy, but the work is described as unconvincing.
- The opera reportedly runs out of dramatic steam before its final act.
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