Germaine Tailleferre (1892 - 1983)

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Tailleferre - Sonata for Harp  - 3. Perpetuum mobile (perpetual motion)


Germaine Tailleferre (1892 - 1983)

Listen to this elegant and surprising 'perpetual motion' movement from Tailleferre's sonata for solo harp, played by Maria Graf:



The two other movements of this sonata are also definitely worth listening to. You can find them on the DHM playlist as well as all other featured music on this blog.

Germaine Tailleferre was born on April 19, 1892 to family living in the outskirts of Paris. Despite exposing their daughter to music from an early age, Tailleferre's parents considered music to be an inappropriate activity for a young lady. Eventually, the young Germaine pursued serious studies at the Paris Conservatoire where she studied accompaniment, harmony and counterpoint, taking first prizes in each. 

Tailleferre was the only woman in the post-WWI group of French composers known as Les Six, where she was encouraged and inspired by her friends including Poulenc. She was composing and playing piano right up until her death at the age of 91, leaving behind an extensive body of work representing almost 70 years of active composition. 

Les Six:  left to right: Francis Poulenc, Germaine Taileferre, Louis Durey, Jean Cocteau, Darius Milhaud, Arthur Honegger. 

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