Germaine Tailleferre (1892-1983) holds a distinguished place in the history of 20th-century classical music as the sole female member of the renowned group of French composers known as "Les Six." Born in the Parisian suburb of Saint-Maur-des-Fossés, Tailleferre demonstrated prodigious musical talent from a young age. She entered the Paris Conservatoire in her early teens and there began to develop her distinctive style, which combined the lyrical charm and clear structures of French classical traditions with the modernist impulses of the early 20th century.

Tailleferre forged a unique path in a male-dominated field, collaborating with her more celebrated contemporaries, like Poulenc, Milhaud, and Honegger. Despite the challenges of being a woman in a conservative musical world and the interruptions to her career due to two world wars, she maintained a prolific output across a variety of forms, including orchestral music, chamber pieces, and works for solo piano. Her compositional style evolved over the decades, yet it always retained an elegant clarity, often infused with wit and a poetic sense of melody. Most recent releases of Tailleferre's music, including her sensitive "Valse lente" and the lively "Trio: II. Allegro vivace," continue to showcase the depth and charm of her musical legacy, reaffirming her status as an innovative force in 20th-century classical music.

Genres

Early Modern Classical

Impressionism

Related Artists

Erik Satie

Maurice Ravel

Francis Poulenc

Nadia Boulanger

Claude Debussy

Lili Boulanger

Darius Milhaud

Arthur Honegger

Cécile Chaminade

Georges Auric

Igor Stravinsky

Elena Kats-Chernin

Latest Release

Tailleferre: Arabesque

Germaine Tailleferre•

Maria Du Toit•

Vera Kooper

Single - Released October 25, 2024