Catalogue of works

Les Soirs illuminés 150

For piano

First line:
Les soirs illuminés par l'ardeur du charbon

Composition dates:
February - March 1917

Publication:
Durand, 2003; Durand, 2004, Édition critique des œuvres complètes, I/4

Comments:
Short piece composed by Debussy in gratitude to his coal merchant. Debussy not without humour prefaced work with a line from Baudelaire, which loosely translates as on evenings glowing from burning coal, taken from " Balcon ", the first of Cinq Poèmes de Baudelaire (" Les soirs illuminés par l'ardeur du charbon ") poems which he set to music in 1888, No. 70/(64).