Le désir de liberté : the life and art songs of Augusta Holmès

Abstract

Augusta Holmès was a pioneer and trailblazer in both musical and political spheres throughout her lifetime, and this influence was directly reflected in her musical output. This document provides background about Holmès’s life, including her connection to both French and Irish politics and how she played an active role throughout her life in working to change the political dynamic for women. This document also draws on gender constructs and feminist/gender rhetoric during her life, which, prior to the emergence of feminist musicology thirty-five years ago, would not be something critics or scholars considered when evaluating Holmès’s compositions. The eight mélodie explored, with texts written by Holmès, traverse the themes of war/politics and feminine love/sexuality. They are evaluated within socio-political and musical contexts to help illustrate their importance to the art song canon. In addition to serving as important reflections of the female perspective in music and the world during Holmès’s lifetime, her art songs are still relevant today.