Lili Boulanger had a tragically short life. She died at age 24 from intestinal tuberculosis, and spent much of her life in poor health, having contracted pneumonia as a toddler, which compromised her immune system. Still, in those 24 years she produced a wide variety of remarkable compositions, including many choral works and songs that show an imaginative approach to harmony. The two recordings on this site come from her remarkable cycle of thirteen songs, Clairières dans le ciel (Clearnings in the Sky). Along with her sister Nadia, Lili Boulanger grew up in a musical family and her talents were recognized early. Scholars and performers are now recognizing her talents as well, and her works are entering the public consciousness—but she deserves to be heard more widely.
Additional Resources
Lili Boulanger has received far less scholarly attention than her sister Nadia, but here are a few useful resources:
- Beer, Anna. Chapter 7 of Sounds and Sweet Airs: The Forgotten Women of Classical Music, 243–85. London: Oneworld, 2016.
- Fauser, Annegret, and Robert Orledge. “Boulanger, Lili.” Grove Music Online, edited by Deane Root.
- Rosenstiel, Léonie. The Life and Works of Lili Boulanger. Rutherford, N.J.: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1978.
- Giesbrecht-Schutte, Sabine. “Lili Boulanger: Clairières dans le ciel—ästhetischer Ausdruck und musikalische Form.” Die Musikforschung 47 (1994): 384–402.
- Dopp, Bonnie Jo. “Numerology and Cryptography in the Music of Lili Boulanger: the Hidden Program in Clairières dans le ciel.” Musical Quarterly 78 (1994): 556–83.
- Davidson, Justin. “It’s Time We All Heard the Music of Lili Boulanger.” Vulture, January 7, 2020.
- Potter, Caroline. Nadia and Lili Boulanger. New York: Routledge, 2016.
