About the Album
Born out of a deep curiosity about Lili Boulanger’s life - moving past the familiar narratives of her chronic illness and the shadow of her sister’s pedagogical fame - this album centers on Boulanger's monumental song cycle, Clairières dans le ciel (Clearings in the Sky).
Alongside it is a commissioned companion piece, if all this is but a moment..., by Canadian composer Monica Pearce.
As biographer Léonie Rosenstiel observed, Clairières dans le ciel functions in many ways as a musical reflection of Lili’s own life. From how the physical description of "elle" in the opening song strikingly resembles Lili herself, to the subtle significance of specific dedicatees and the recurring symbolic use of the number 13, the music operates on deeply personal layers. The more we lived with this cycle, the more these symbols resonated and deepened our admiration for the composer. It stands as a testament not only to her compositional maturity, but also to her courage in leaving a legacy that far outlives her brief lifetime.
We hope listeners will discover Lili beyond the labels of "sickly prodigy," "Nadia's younger sister," or even her triumph at the Prix de Rome (though this speaks volumes about her musical prowess, becoming the first woman to win the prestigious award against immense odds!) Instead, we invite you to hear a fiercely devoted artist who found immense strength through vulnerability, pouring all-consuming passion and tenderness into her art.
When we approached Monica Pearce to compose a companion work, we envisioned an original text and score that would keep the focus squarely on Lili as a person. Monica’s cycle unfolds in four vignette-like movements, each capturing a pivotal moment in Lili’s creative life: the quiet anticipation before a breakthrough, the intensity of the Prix de Rome competition, intimate score revisions with Nadia, and the fragile beginnings of a final composition. Through the lens of a contemporary female creator, Pearce invites us to experience Boulanger’s life as a vibrant, enduring moment in time.
This album stands as a tribute to two extraordinary song cyles connected across time and geography, unified by Lili Boulanger’s life and musical prowess. We are honored to share this music with you.
Download the album booklet (PDF):
Listen:
BTS of Clairières; but a moment
Clairières; but a moment
Album by Elise Noyes, Soprano and Gina Hyunmin Lee, Piano
Featuring works by Lili Boulanger and Monica Pearce
Album Cover Art by Rea Kelly
Elise and Gina, after their performance at the Women in Music Conference (March 2024, Geneva, NY)
The duo at Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (May 2024)
In the studio.. (Nov 2024)
Elise and Gina, after their performance at the Women in Music Conference (March 2024, Geneva, NY)
Making this album was a slow, deeply intentional gestation. What started as a selection in a recital program back in the fall of 2022 evolved over the next four years into a full-scale recording project. It all began when I pitched Lili Boulanger’s song cycle, Clairières dans le ciel, to Elise for my first doctoral recital at the Eastman School of Music. Experiencing the cycle for the first time on stage, we both felt a strong calling to spend more time with the work and craft our own distinct interpretation.
In 2023, our vision took a major step forward when we received funding through the Canada Council for the Arts’ Explore and Create grant - an award of over $40,000 CAD. This support completely reshaped what was possible for us as independent artists. Not only did it allow us to commission a new companion work from composer Monica Pearce, but it also funded two dedicated study trips to work with our primary coach, Margo Garrett, and a chance to record the cycle in a professional recording studio with a dedicated engineer and a producer.
Working with Margo was transformative. Beyond refining our musical approach, her profound expertise offered invaluable insights into the Boulanger sisters, the nuances of French sensibility and lyric diction, and the artistic discipline required to capture a monumental cycle like Lili's in a recording environment. Combined with the steadfast guidance of our mentors, Dr. Andrew Harley and Prof. Kathryn Cowdrick, having Margo’s fierce advocacy for the cycle behind us was a tremendous honor.
Over the following ten months, we immersed ourselves completely in the music. We brought the cycle to stages and practice rooms alike, including presentations at the Women in Music conference, my doctoral lecture-recital at Eastman, and the Athenaeum Concert Series at Claremont McKenna College. Every chance to share the cycle with audience allowed us to deepen our intimacy with the score.
By November 2024, we were in the studio at Noble Street Studios in Toronto, where we had the privilege of working with Canadian recording engineer Dennis Patterson and producer Dr. Brock Tjosvold.
Because this is a fully independent and self-produced project, bringing the final product across the finish line took a little longer than expected (think finishing a doctoral degree, starting a new full-time job, both of us moving countries, a wedding, and many other life events), making every step of the way a true learning experience for us.
Now that it is ready to be shared, we couldn't be happier or prouder to finally bring this labor of love into the world! Below, you’ll find a few photos capturing our journey with the cycle over the years. I hope they offer a glimpse into what happens behind the scenes when preparing and producing an album independently. Thank you for listening and being part of this story.