Lili Boulanger: Focused on Choral Music

Lili Boulanger was a French composer who was heavily focused on choral music. Many of her works were either left unfinished or were never completed.

Early Life

Lili Boulanger was born in Paris, France on August 21, 1893. Her father, Nadia Boulanger, was a well-known composer, organist, and singing teacher. Her sister, Nadia Boulanger, would also go on to have a successful career in music. Lili began composing at a very young age and her first composition, “Les Sirènes”, was published when she was just eleven years old.

Lili Boulanger was born in Paris on August 21, 1893

Lili Boulanger was born in Paris on August 21, 1893, the first child of Ernest Boulanger and his wife Marie-Juliette “Daisy” née Royer (1861–1937). She had two sisters: Marcia (1895–1918) and Nora (1900–1961), who also became composers.

Although she was born a decade after Claude Debussy, Lili showed composing talent at an early age. According to her sister Marcia, “by the time Lili was twelve she had composed several songs for voice and piano, including settings of poetry by her father and Goethe.” When she was 18 months old, her father found one of her improvised tunes so charming that he asked his friend Augusteë Compiègne-Limoges to put words to it. The result was “La berceuse d’Angélique”, which achieved some degree of popularity following its publication in Le Ménestrel in 1893.

In 1895 Boulanger’s parents placed Marcia with a teacher in England so that she could study there; Marcia’s health soon deteriorated, however, and she returned home before long. After Marcia contracted tuberculosis in 1900, the family moved to Pharmacie Récamier on Rue Récamier near Saint Sulpice Church where they found reasonably priced rooms with good sunlight. Here the two sisters could study together under favorable conditions; Nora became a talented singer but later turned to composition like her sister.

Although Ernest Boulanger showed musical talent himself as a singer this did not prevent him from discouraging his daughters from becoming professional musicians. He is quoted as saying: “This profession is closed to them by their sex; it requires physical strength which women do not have.” He hoped that both Lili and Nora would instead become painters or poets because these occupations did not require public performances that might be disruptive for their health. Unbeknownst to him, both sisters had already committed themselves to music—Lili composed her first piece during this period: Mimosa I for piano trio in E major (Nadia Boulanger Archive).

Education and Training

Lili Boulanger was born in Paris, France, on August 21, 1893. She was the younger sister of Nadia Boulanger. Both sisters showed great promise as musicians at an early age and were educated at the Paris Conservatory. Lili excelled in her studies, winning the Premier Grand Prix de Rome at the age of nineteen.

She was educated at the Paris Conservatory

Lili Boulanger was born in Paris, France on August 21, 1893. Her father was prolific composer and professor at the Paris Conservatoire, Nadia Boulanger, and her mother was his student. Lili’s older sister, Nadia Boulanger, also went on to become a highly respected figure in musical composition.

Lili was precocious and displayed composing talents at an early age. However, she sickened with Crohn’s disease when she was 13 and remained bedridden for much of the next three years. During this time she began to explore her faith more fully, eventually converting to Roman Catholicism.

Although frail health prevented her from pursuing a traditional performance career, Lili focused on composition and became one of the most promising students at the Paris Conservatory. She studied there from 1908-1913 under Gabriel Fauré (whose pupils also included Maurice Ravel and Claude Debussy) and Albert Roussel.

Lili won the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1913 – becoming the first woman ever to do so – but she was too ill to travel to Italy to claim her prize. She continued to work on choral music and produced several successful pieces including Duparc settings and the cantata “La Procession Noël”.

Tragically, Lili’s health worsened and she died of Crohn’s disease on March 15, 1918 at the age of 24.

She studied composition with Gabriel Fauré

Lili Boulanger was born in Paris in 1893, the younger sister of the noted composer Nadia Boulanger. Lili showed early musical talent — she is said to have composed her first work at the age of two — but she did not begin serious study of music until she was 15, when she entered the Paris Conservatoire. There she studied composition with Gabriel Fauré and Vincent d’Indy, and won several prizes, including the Prix de Rome in 1913 (becoming the first woman ever to do so).

Her Works

Lili Boulanger was a French composer who focused on choral music. While she didn’t live long, only dying at the age of 24, she left behind a legacy of beautiful music. In this section, we’ll take a look at some of her most famous works.

Boulanger composed mostly choral music

Lili Boulanger was a French composer who is most remembered for her choral music. Many of her works were written for voice and piano, and she also composed a number of solo piano pieces.

Boulanger was born in Paris in 1893, and her sister Nadia would also go on to become a well-known composer. Lili showed an early aptitude for music, and she began composing when she was just five years old. She studied at the Paris Conservatory, where she won several prizes.

In 1918, Boulanger became the first woman to win the Prix de Rome, which was a major achievement for any composer at that time. However, her health began to decline soon afterwards, and she died of intestinal cancer in 1918 at the age of just 24.

Despite her short life, Boulanger left behind a significant body of work, much of which is still performed today. Her choral music is some of her most popular pieces, and she is considered one of the foremost composers of this genre from the early 20th century.

Her best-known work is the “D’un matin de printemps”

Lili Boulanger was a French composer who is best known for her choral work, “D’un matin de printemps.” This piece was composed in 1913 and is considered to be her best-known work. It is a setting of a poem by Paul Verlaine and is written for Soprano, Chorus, and Piano. The piece is characterized by its use of tonality and disharmony.

Boulanger was born in Paris in 1893 and began studying music at a young age. She composed her first piece, “Nocturne,” when she was only 9 years old. Boulanger continued to compose music throughout her life, but she sadly passed away at the age of 24 due to complications from Crohn’s disease.

Later Life and Death

After the death of her sister, Nadia Boulanger, in 1918, Lili Boulanger’s health rapidly deteriorated. She began to experience crippling bouts of depression and anxiety, and she became increasingly withdrawn. In the summer of 1919, she attempted suicide.

Boulanger died of Crohn’s disease on March 15, 1918

Boulanger died of Crohn’s disease on March 15, 1918 in Paris, at the age of 24. Her death came as a shock to the music world, which lost one of its most promising talents.

She was only 24 years old

Lili Boulanger was only 24 years old when she passed away, but in her short life, she managed to make a significant impact on the world of music. She was a French composer who focused primarily on choral music, and she is considered to be one of the most important female composers of the early 20th century. Her work has been performed all over the world, and she has been posthumously honored with many prestigious awards.