Marchande de Fleurs

Marchande de Fleurs - digital collage

She to this earth belonged, where beauty fast
To direst fate is borne:
A rose, she lasted, as the roses last,
Only for one brief morn. 

- Consolation, François de Malherbe 

While this selection is from a poem to a friend whose daughter has died, it kept rattling around in my nut while I played with some travel photos today. (Click image to enlarge.)

I remembered the poem but not the poet. In my search I stumbled upon this lovely bit of music by Rafi Baladi.  

Consolation du Malherbe à son ami M. Du Périer-New richer version | Musicians Available

He was inspired upon rereading Consolation and imagining Malherbe's visit to his friend. Here is Mr. Baldi's eloquent explanation from his Muziboo page:

 "I read it again ten years ago (2000) and imagined him riding his horse to visit his friend on a dark rainy evening to deliver his Consolation to him. I imagined Du Périer open his countryside home and let him in. Each sipped a glass of wine on a chipped wooden table and Malherbre read his poem. Du Périer responded with gratitude commenting on Malherbre’s similar and earlier two tragedies with his own children. (Which is true) The peace of music is represented by two major sets of strings, one delivered by Malherbre and the other intervened, gently, by Du Périer." 

Click here to find out more about this composer and to listen to some of his music.