Musical Interpretation of the Selected Poems by Paul Verlaine. Analysis of Irena Wieniawska’s Songs in the Comparison to the Compositions by Fauré, Debussy, and Ravel 1

The aim of this article is to interpret songs by Gabriel Fauré, Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel and a less‑known composer—Irena Wieniawska (1879−1932), based on the same poems by Paul Verlaine. In the first part of this paper, the relationships between Wieniawska, Fauré, Debussy, Ravel and Verlaine are subsequently described. Then, the author makes a comparison between selected songs by French composers and Madame Poldowski, indicating main similarities and differences. The final part consists of some remarks related to the fact that Wieniawska fulfills features of the French mélodie very strictly. This is why her songs seem to be more traditional, not as allusive and sophisticated as Debussy’s or Ravel’s vocal works.