Gustave charpentier biography

Gustave Charpentier (French: [ɡystav ʃaʁpɑ̃tje]; 25 June – 18 February ) was a French composer, best known for his operaLouise.

Life and career

Charpentier was born in Dieuze, Moselle, the son of a baker, and with the assistance of a rich benefactor he studied violin at the conservatoire in Lille before entering the Paris Conservatoire in There he took lessons in composition under Jules Massenet (from ) and had a reputation of wanting to shock his professors.

In he won the Prix de Rome for his cantataDidon.

Gustave charpentier biography However, he became unproductive as a composer. Encouraged, Charpentier wrote a sequel under the title Julien Paris, June 4, , but it failed to arouse comparable interest. Gustafson, Susan E lizabeth A realistic portrait of Parisian working-class life, it is sometimes considered a French example of verismo opera.

During the time in Rome that the prize gave him, he wrote the orchestral suiteImpressions d'Italie and began work on the libretto and music for what would become his best-known work, the opera Louise.

Charpentier returned to Paris, settling in Montmartre, and continued to compose, including songs on texts by Charles Baudelaire and Voltaire.

He eventually completed Louise, and it was accepted for production by the Opéra-Comique. A realistic portrait of Parisian working-class life, it is sometimes considered a French example of verismo opera.

The premiere of Louise on 2 February under the baton of André Messager was an immediate success. Soon this work was being performed all over Europe and America, and it brought Charpentier much acclaim.

Gustave charpentier biography wikipedia Gusterson, Bridgette —. Soon this work was being performed all over Europe and America, and it brought Charpentier much acclaim. Tools Tools. Charpentier, Gustave oxford.

It also launched the career of the Scottish sopranoMary Garden, who took over the title role during an early performance. In late the composer supervised the abridged score used in a studio recording of around 70 minutes of the opera, conducted by Eugène Bigot. A film adaptation of the work followed in with Grace Moore in the title role. At the revival of Louise at the Opéra-Comique on 28 February , celebrating the 50th anniversary of its creation and the 90th birthday of its composer, it was hoped that Charpentier himself might conduct the performance, but André Cluytens did so, with the composer conducting the "Chant de l'apothéose" after the third act.

Louise is still occasionally performed today, with the soprano aria "Depuis le jour" a popular recital piece.

In , Charpentier founded the Conservatoire Populaire Mimi Pinson, intended to provide a free artistic education to Paris's working girls.

However, he became unproductive as a composer. He worked on a sequel to Louise, Julien, ou la vie du poète, but it was quickly forgotten after its tepidly received premiere. Thereafter, Charpentier wrote very little.

He was, nevertheless, no recluse.

Louise Learn more about citation styles Citation styles Encyclopedia. In , Charpentier founded the Conservatoire Populaire Mimi Pinson, intended to provide a free artistic education to Paris's working girls. More From encyclopedia. Gustafson Nancy.

During World War I, he started the Œuvre de Mimi Pinson and Cocarde de Mimi Pinson to aid wounded soldiers. He was awarded the Légion d'honneur in , became a Commandeur in , and a Grand Officier in In , he conducted a recording of his Impressions d'Italie with a Paris symphony orchestra. He died, aged 95, in Paris.

Charpentier's brother Victor (also born in Dieuze, on 23 July ) was a cellist in the orchestra of the Paris Opera and later a conductor of popular symphony concerts in Paris.

In Marc Delmas published a biography of Charpentier entitled Gustave Charpentier et le Lyrisme Francais.

Compositions

See also

In Spanish: Gustave Charpentier para niños