Proust, Hahn, and the art of song

Journal article

In this article, Proust’s Du côté du chez Swann is read against Reynaldo Hahn’s lectures, Du chant. Two songs cited in the Recherche (Adieu and Sole mio) are analysed for the way in which they hark back to and at the same time complicate the scene of the drame du coucher. This scene is considered one of the fundamental « moments musicaux » of the novel, and is shown to be particularly striking for its description of judicious rubato. The mother as musical muse in the novel is explored, and reasons are suggested for the absence of both mother and music in the final volume.

Authors: Rushworth, J

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Brill
• Journal: Marcel Proust Aujourd'hui
• Volume: 12
• Pages: 168-183
• Publication date: 2015-01-01
• Acceptance date: 2015-02-21
• DOI: 10.1163/9789004302426_014
• ISSN: 1571-5647
• Language: English