La fille aux cheveux de lin is a musical composition by French composer Claude Debussy. It is the eighth of the composer's Préludes, Book I (1909-1910). The title is in French and translates roughly to "The Girl with the Flaxen Hair". The piece is 39 bars long and lasts about two and a half minutes. It is one of the most recorded of Debussy's pieces, both in its original version and various arrangements. It is in the key of G♭ major.
Pianist Walter Morse Rummel (1887-1953) gave the premiere of La Fille aux cheveux de lin on 26 July 1910 at the Casino, Stockbridge, Massachusetts.
There is also an earlier unpublished song, written by Debussy circa 1882, of the same title. The piece is dedicated to (auburn-haired) singer Marie Blanche Vasnier for whom the much younger Debussy wished to create songs inspired by her voice. Its text is the poem La fille aux cheveux de lin No. 4 of the Chansons écossaises (Scottish songs) from Charles Leconte de Lisle's Poemes antiques (Ancient poems), published by Alphonse Lemerre in Paris, 1874. Charles-Marie-René Leconte de Lisle (1818-1894) led the Parnassian school of poets.
Famous quotes containing the words fille and/or lin:
“She leet no morsel from hir lippes falle,
Ne wette hir fyngres in hir sauce depe.
Wel koude she carie a morsel and wel kepe
That no drope ne fille upon hire brest.
In curteisie was set ful muchel hir lest.”
—Geoffrey Chaucer (1340?–1400)
“Out then spak her father dear,
And he spak meek and mild,
And ever alas, sweet Janet, he says,
I think thou gaes wi’ child.
If that I gae wi’ child, father,
Mysel maun bear the blame;
There’s ne’er a laird about your ha’,
Shall get the bairn’s name.”
—Unknown. Tam Lin (l. 53–60)