Louise Talma: Terre de France

So Lit Song Lit

Another student of Nadia Boulanger, Louise Talma was an American composer who taught at the American Conservatory at Fontainebleau as well as Hunter College. She was the first American female composer to have a full-scale opera performed in Europe. Terre de France uses traditional harmonies, but in the 1950s Talma started experimenting with serial techniques.

The score to Terre de France is available at Sheet Music Plus. We also mention her cycle Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird several times on the episode.

Recordings featured in this episode, performed by Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano, and Ellen Rissinger, pianist:

• 1. Mère, voici vos fils (mistranslated in the episode! "Mother, here are your sons")
• 3. Ballade
• 4. Ode
• 5. Adieux à la Meuse

Recorded at Morningstar Studios in Norristown, PA.

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So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.

You can follow Ellen and The Diction Police on Facebook and at www.dictionpolice.com.

You can follow Toni Marie on Facebook at Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano and Instagram @ToniMariePalmertree

You can find out more about Zach on his website, https://www.zacharydeansmith.com/

This episode is sponsored by Carnegie Mellon University. Learn more about CMU and apply today.