Histoires

Ibert's representative piano work. Composed in 1922, it, along with the orchestral work Escales completed around the same time, brought Ibert's name to wider public recognition.

Histoires consists of ten short pieces. Around this time, Ibert traveled to countries in the Middle East and Western Europe, and the impressions he gained there, as well as the folktales he heard in those lands, are expressed in a highly refined musical form. These pieces are often played consecutively, but many are also performed individually. As they are technically and musically approachable, they are also suitable for personal enjoyment.

The fact that each title is appended at the end of the piece suggests the composer's intention that they should not be overly interpreted as programmatic music.

• I. La meneuse de tortues d'or (The Woman with the Golden Tortoises): The first piece of Histoires, beginning gently and languidly. Over a walking left-hand accompaniment, the transparent timbre of the right hand quietly vibrates the air.
• II. Le petit ane blanc (The Little White Donkey): Often performed as a standalone piece in concerts. Set in Spain. The continuous sixteenth-note staccato throughout evokes the sound of a donkey's hooves. In the extremely cheerful middle section, the playful accents placed on weak beats excite the listener. A delightful piece whose popularity is understandable.
• III. Le vieux mendiant (The Old Beggar): The repeated chords in the left hand are enveloped in a heavy sadness, sounding as if wandering aimlessly. It fades away to ppp at the end.
• IV. A giddy girl (A Giddy Girl): In the style of a gentle English love song. In contrast to the previous piece, an impish girl appears. The somewhat melancholic aspect shown in the middle section, and the interwoven harmonic sounds, are perhaps a little peculiar.
• V. Dans la maison triste (In the Sad House): A house enveloped in the sorrow of a child's death. Slowly and lamentingly. In 7/4 time. The irresolvable emotional turmoil and the helpless feeling of not knowing where to go are palpable in the music.
• VI. Le palais abandonne (The Abandoned Palace): Lovers lost in a forest. What they saw there was a ruined palace. A divine palace that must have once existed. But now, it is no more. The vestiges of the past and the present state are wonderfully expressed through the sound.
• VII. Bojo la mesa (Under the Table): At a cafe in Valencia. A female dancer performs the Spanish dance 'Zapateado' on a table. A drunkard lies under the table, and a bullfighter steps on him. The struggling drunkard and the bullfighter calmly watching the dance. Such a scene is depicted.
• VIII. La cage de cristal (The Crystal Cage): A princess imprisoned in a crystal cage. Carried by lovely tones with rich ornamentation, her heart travels far and wide. Yet, still a captive, the same musical motif is repeated somewhat sadly in the middle section.
• IX. La marchande d'eau fraiche (The Fresh Water Seller): A water seller arrives at the market, leading a mule. In the opening section, played alternately by the right and left hands, an accompaniment reminiscent of a mule's footsteps is played, while also forming part of a distinctive melody.
• X. Le cortege de Balkis (The Procession of Balkis): Set in Asia. A lively procession led by a queen. Amidst the dazzling atmosphere, the queen's languid expression stands out. Guards chase a child who tried to see the queen. The detailed tempo settings in the latter half further enhance the narrative quality of the piece.