Here is another poem from Victor Hugo’s 1840 collection
Les rayons et les ombres. Although the song setting is usually known as
Guitare (as here) the poem’s title is actually
Autre guitare to distinguish it from
Guitare, subtitled
Gastibelza, as set by Liszt. It can also appear as a song under the title of its first line—
Comment, disaient-ils. Many composers have been attracted to these words: Reber, Saint-Saëns, Lalo, Bizet, Massenet and Lecocq among others. Godard’s setting, completely different from the florid Hispaniolations of Bizet, is cast as a village stomp (a refined stomp, however) that shows Godard’s interest in folk music and dance.
from notes by Graham Johnson © 2006
English: Richard Stokes
;)
