Épitaph de Jean Harlow, Op. 164 (Koechlin)
Movements
Notes
Beginning with themes of nature and the forest, Koechlin’s interests evolved to encompass classical mythology, Kipling’s Jungle Book stories and, later, the world of cinema. He had in the past become infatuated with particular actresses who served as his muses, and the early death of Jean Harlow, the ‘Blond Bombshell’ of 1930s cinema, left her with only one, all-too-brief tribute from Koechlin. Reflecting on the work, he wrote: “I found that this melody depicted her so well that I did not hesitate to dedicate it to her as an epitaph. The sound of the saxophone should have all the easy sweetness of the star and her California.”
