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by Albert Mérat (1840 - 1909)

Le clavecin
Language: French (Français) 
Les pieds branlants et lourds et le ventre fluet,
Moins utile qu’aimé, vieilli comme sa gloire,
Mais d’un attrait pareil à celui d’une histoire,
Le clavecin repose, immobile et muet.

L’œil avait des lueurs et le cœur remuait
A l’entendre. Égayant la grande glace noire,
Il montre avec orgueil quatre octaves d’ivoire
Qu’usa de son pas grave et lent le menuet.

Là dort ensevelie une musique exquise,
Ces vieux airs qu’on dansait en robe de marquise,
Aigrelets et vibrants comme un son de ducat ;

Et le soir, doucement si l’on ouvrait les portes,
Peut-être on entendrait un scherzo délicat
Sous les doigts effilés des châtelaines mortes.

Confirmed with Albert Mérat, Les souvenirs, Paris, Éd. Alphonse Lemerre, 1872, page 41.


Text Authorship:

  • by Albert Mérat (1840 - 1909), "Le clavecin", written 1872?, appears in Les souvenirs, in 3. Suite d'esquisses, no. 7, Paris, Éd. Alphonse Lemerre, first published 1872 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

  • by Charles-Henri Maréchal (1842 - 1924), "Le clavecin", published 1912 [ medium voice and piano ], from Deux mélodies, no. 1, Paris, Éd. 'Au Ménestrel' Heugel [sung text not yet checked]

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2018-11-28
Line count: 14
Word count: 106

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