Maurice Emmanuel

Maurice Emmanuel is a Compositeur French born with Bar-sur-Aube the May 2nd 1862, died with Paris the December 14th 1938.

Biography

It passes its childhood in Burgundy to Beaune (Coast-with Or) where his/her parents settle starting from 1867.

It is there that he discovers the folk songs of the vine growers.

It is in 1880 that it enters to the Conservatoire of Paris where he is the pupil of Theodore Dubois (harmony), Albert Bourgault-Ducoudray (history of the music) and Léo Delibes (composition). This last is opposed to its musical innovations and bars to him the access to large the Prix of Rome. Apart from the Academy, it receives lessons of Ernest Guiraud at which it meets Claude Debussy.

It continues in parallel higher learning with the Sorbonne (where it obtains its arts degree in 1886), with the École of Louvre, works with François-Auguste Gevaert. Of 1904 with 1907, he is Choirmaster to the church Holy-Clotilde. In 1907, it is named professor of history of the music to the Academy of Paris, posts that it will occupy until in 1936.

Robert Casadesus, Yvonne Lefébure, Georges Migot, Jacques Chailley, Olivier Messiaen, Henri Dutilleux appear in the number of its pupils.

But this career of scholar somewhat masked that of the musician whose works are little played and appreciated with their right value, until creation in 1929 with the Opéra of Paris of its lyric tragedy Salamine , according to Persians of Eschyle, which obtains a certain success.

Not very abundant, the work of Emmanuel is of a great quality. It knew to preserve its originality without being subject to the influence of the impressionism dominating of the beginning of the century. Its first compositions, in particular the first sonatine for piano (1893) testify already to the stamping from its style to the debussysme (the two type-setters are exactly contemporary).

Its sonata for clarinet, flute and piano (1907) is very characteristic of the art of Emmanuel: of neo-classic invoice, work subtly assimilates its knowledge of the rates/rhythms of Antiquity like that of the popular instrumentation of the 19th century, its two subjects of predilection.

Works

Instrumental music

Sonata for violoncello and piano (1887)
6 sonatines for piano
Sonata for violin and piano (1902)
String quartet (1903)
Continuation on Greek popular airs (1907)
Sonata for clarinet, flute and piano (1907)

Music for orchestra

Opening for a merry tale (1890)
Zingaresca , for 2 piano, string orchestra, 2 flute and drinking cup (1902)
2 symphonies:

symphony n° 1 in (1919) the
“Breton” symphony n° 2 (1930-31)

French Continuation, according to the 5th sonatine (1934-35)
Poem of the Rhone (1938), symphonic poem according to Mistral, posthumous work orchestrated by Marguerite Béclard d' Harcourt

Vocal music

Musics , 12 melodies for song and piano (1908)
30 Burgundian Songs, for voice soloist or chorus and piano (1913)
3 Odelettes anacreontic, song, flute and piano (1911)
In memoriam , song, violin, violoncello and piano (1908)
O filii , for soli, chorus and organ (1905)

Incidental music

Prométhée connected , lyric tragedy according to Eschyle (1916-18)
Salamine , lyric tragedy according to Eschyle 1921-23, 1927-28)
Host , musical comedy (1936)

Writings

Test on orchestic Greek, Paris, 1895
History of the musical language, 2 vol., Paris, 1911
Treated modal accompaniment of the psalms, Lyon, 1913
Pelléas and Mélisande de Claude Debussy, Paris, 1926
César Franck, Paris, 1930
Anton Reicha, Paris, 1936

Maurice Emmanuel, author of many articles of reviews, took part in the edition of complete Works of Jean-Philippe Rameau. He wrote of them the comments of volumes XVII and XVIII, Paris, Durand, 1913

References

Dictionary of the Music, the men and their works, Mr. Honegger, Bordered, Paris, 1986

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