“Hymne au soleil”

Lili Boulanger also goes down in history as the first woman to 'break' the tradition of awarding the Prix de Rome for composition to men only, and became the first female composer to be awarded it in 1913 for the cantata Faust et Hélène. It was in the run-up to this competition that in 1912 she wrote a compelling piece: Hymn to the Sun (Hymne au soleil). The lyrics originally are by Casimir Delavigne from his tragedy in five acts Le Paria (1833). The first act depicts the forbidden love between a pariah and the daughter of a Brahmin priest. As the new day dawns, the lovers bid farewell to remain unnoticed. Brahmins and pilgrims gather for a ritual of homage to the rising sun. The music is at once reminiscent of Fauré and Debussy, at once trying to distinguish itself from them.