Lili Boulanger was the younger sister of Nadia Boulanger, who was also a composer but was better known as one of the twentieth century’s most influential educators. Lili’s musical gifts were apparent early on: at age six, she joined her sister, five years her senior, in lessons at the conservatory in Paris. Lili Boulanger died of Crohn’s disease at just 24 years of age, but already in her lifetime, she was acclaimed by composers like Honegger and Debussy.

D’un soir triste is a powerful piece that begins from a calm introduction and shifts its great weight forward, evolving into something overwhelming. It is an unparalleled example of just how far Lili Boulanger took her refined approach to sound and musical storytelling in a short period of time.

***

This excerpt of music is from episode 3 of the series Mankind and Music. The five episodes are available to watch here on Konserthuset Play. Why does music exist? What happens to us when we make or listen to music? In this series, we explore answers to these questions together with musicians, listeners and researchers.