Works of Lili Boulanger: Du Fond De L'abime - Psaume 24 & 129 - Vieille Prière Bouddhique - Pie Jesu (Transferred from the Original Everest Records Master Tapes)

When Lili Boulanger died of tuberculosis in 1918, aged just 24, the musical world lost a phenomenal composing talent. These recordings, dating from the 1960s, strikingly convey the extent of Boulanger’s creative mastery. The large-scale choral and orchestral setting of Psalm 130, Du fond de l’abîme (From out of the abyss), has a dark and brooding power that only an exceptional composer could unleash—a quality impressively conveyed by these Parisian choral and orchestral forces conducted by Igor Markevitch. The shorter Psaume 24 (Psalm 24) for chorus, brass group and organ, Psaume 129 (Psalm 129) with orchestra, and Vieille prière bouddhique (Old Buddhist prayer) all pack a similar emotional punch. The Pie Jesu, probably intended to be part of a full-size Requiem setting, is remarkable for its radical and forward-looking harmonic style.