Love and despair: a study of the Ariettes Oubliées

Abstract

This study has presented that biographical information about the life of Paul Verlaine directly influenced the composition of his poetry included in the Romances sans paroles and analytical information about Debussy’s compositional methods. The evidence suggests that Verlaine’s relationship with his wife and lover both influenced his work. It also explores the techniques Debussy used to evoke the meaning of the poetry. It contains a biographical description of the life of each man, a technical analysis of the poetry, comparisons between biographical evidence and poetic content, and a commentary on the musical setting of the text.