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The Chansons madécasses (Madagascan Songs) is a collection of three art songs by Maurice Ravel written between 1925 and 1926 for voice (mezzo-soprano or baritone), flute, cello and piano with words from the poetry collection Chansons madécasses by Évariste de Parny. The song cycle consists of the three titles "Nahandove", "Aoua", and "Il est doux".
They are dedicated to the American musician and philanthropist Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge.
Premiere and notable recordings
The premiere took place on May 8, 1926, in Rome with the voice of Jane Bathori, Alfredo Casella on the piano, Louis Fleury on the flute and Hans Kindler on the cello. The first edition print was accompanied by Luc-Albert Moreau prints. The first known record is that of Madeleine Grey, a highly regarded singer, in 1932.