Gabriel Pierné

Henri Constant Gabriel Pierné , born with Metz the August 16th 1863 and died in Ploujean (Finistere) the July 17th 1937, was a Organiste, Compositeur and Leader French.

Biography

His/her mother is piano teacher and her father professor of song. The French defeat of 1870 brings the family to Paris.

Pierné enters to the Conservatoire of Paris where it has as Masters Albert Lavignac, Antoine François Marmontel, Emile Durand, César Franck and Jules Massenet. In 1882, it obtains at the same time as the price of organ, the Second first Grand Prix of Rome with the cantata Edith . With the Academy, it côtoie Claude Debussy with which there will remain always very dependant. With died of César Franck in 1890, it replaces its Master with the organ loft of the Église Holy-Clotilde during eight years before Charles Tournemire does not take the changing in 1898.

The true musical career of Pierné is carried out with the direction of orchestra. It becomes in 1903 assistant of Edouard Colonne with the head of the Concerts Column to ensure of it then only the direction of 1910 to 1934. It obtains a large celebrity as leader and benefits from it to impose innumerable contemporary works (Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, Albert Roussel, Igor Stravinski). It attracts itself the lightnings of his friend Camille Saint-Saëns when it directs the Second continuation of Darius Milhaud. The symphony of Louis Vierne is created by Pierné in 1919. In 1924, it is named member of the Académie of the Art schools to the armchair of Theodore Dubois. The same year, it is made Chevalier of the Legion of Honor.

Works

It approaches all the kinds successfully: according to the legend, it is at 12 years that it would have composed its famous Sérénade for violin and piano opus (actually, the partition would go back rather to 1879). Among its sendings of Rome, initially a Continuation of orchestra, opus 11 , then the Elves , dramatic legend in three parts and a symphonic Opening , opus 10 (1885), all three very appreciated by the critic, make of him, at the end of the years 1880, one of the new hopes of the very influential French school.

But it is necessary to seek the best of Pierné in its Chamber music. One will initially be interested in his beautiful made up Sonate for violin and piano in 1900 in Brittany. For the piano, one owes him a charming collection of Fifteen parts published since 1883, a collection of six parts Album for my boyfriends, opus 14 (1887), Three parts forming a succession in concerts, opus 40 (1903), a Concerto in minor C for piano and orchestra, opus 25 (1890).

It composes a Pièce in minor ground for piano and oboe (1883); a Canzonetta for clarinet and piano, opus 19 (1888); a Solo in concert for bassoon and piano (1898); a Imagination impromptu ; a Lullaby ; a Sonata, opus 36 . Its Sonata da Camera for flute, violoncello and piano shows, probably best, the originality of its rhythmic constructions and the use of the stamps.

He writes also many melodies, like the Small Shareholder , reflecting according to the topics, the mischievousness of his spirit, tenderness or his humor as in the small rabbits (Jean Aicard, 1891), the Three small birds (Jean Richepin), the Three poems of Klingsor . One will retain finally splendid the Sonate for violoncello and piano of 1919. One finds there a superb music which does not make any concession with the facility. The character franckist of this noble sonata is so obvious that one could believe it written by Franck himself by certain places.

One also owes him of beautiful pages for orchestra with or without soloist: the Landscapes franciscains ; Basque Imagination for violin and orchestra, dedicated to Jacques Thibaud, which is represented with the concerts Colonne in December 1927; incidental music Ramuntcho , according to the drama of Pierre Parcelled out (Theater of Odéon, February 29th, 1908); the Entertainment on a pastoral topic which it dedicates in 1934 to “his friends collaborator, artists in the Concerts Column”

Its oratorios and the theater holds the most significant part of its production. December 8th, 1895 is played Concerts of the Opera a lyric episode on a booklet of Eugene Morand entitled the Christmas Eve 1870 . In 1897, the year Millet , symphonic poem with choruses; the Crusade of the Children on a booklet of Marcel Schwob (1902) receives the Price of the Town of Paris in 1903 and the Children of Bethlehem , poem of Gabriel Nigond, oratorio which is carried out with Amsterdam on April 13rd, 1907; Saint-François d' Assise , oratorio given in the first hearing to Châtelet on March 24th, 1912.

For the theater, he writes the Way of the Love (an act), Don Shine (opera in three acts), the Vendée .

He also composes of many light operas: the Girl of Tabarin (comic opera in three acts, 1901), One badine not with the love (comic opera in three acts, 1910), Fragonard (musical comedy in three acts and four tables, booklet of Andre Rivoire and Romain Coolus represented with the Theater of the Door Saint Martin's day in October 1934 and directed by Maurice Lehmann), Salome and of the incidental musics ( Ramuntcho ). It left also some works concerting in famous and splendid a Konzertstück for toothing-stone and orchestra (1903). Its some works for organ (Choral, Running away, Three parts) and for piano (Variations) are of a very great quality of writing which makes consider it regrettable that one more often does not hear them in concert.

The choreographic partitions are also important: the sapphire Collar (1891); Button of Gold (1895); Cydalise and the Goat-footed being , Impressions of variety , Images , remained with the repertory of the Opera.

Giration writes for a phonographic recording is given without orchestra to the Théâtre of the Fields-Elysées in 1934 by Serge Lifar, Miss Kergrist and Dynalyx with the Concerts Column under the direction of Paul Paray.

Pierné will have to suffer, throughout its life, of its brilliant career of leader which will somewhat eclipse its talents of type-setter near his contemporaries. Rene Dumesnil to write: “All those which will turn to the partitions of Gabriel Pierné are sure to find great profit there at the same time as great pleasure. ”

Random links: