Reynaldo Hahn: Painter of Poems

Abstract: Composer Reynaldo Hahn (1874–1947) was a musician and aesthete, a cultured man of refined tastes, with a significant interest in poetry and the visual arts. He believed a singer must be able to visualize an image of the words to create a successful performance. This article explores the compositional techniques Hahn employed to create images of the poetry in his music by analyzing four of Hahn’s melodies: “Les Cygnes,” “La Pêche,” “Tous Deux,” and “Adieu.”