- Henri Büsser
Henri Büsser (
January 16 ,1872 –December 31 ,1973 ) was a French classical musiccomposer and conductor.Biography
Paul-Henri Büsser was born in
Toulouse (Haute-Garonne ),France . He entered the Conservatoire in Paris in 1889 where he studied organ withCésar Franck and composition withErnest Guiraud . As musical secretary toCharles Gounod , he received valuable advice, and with Gounod's assistance, was appointed orgainst atSaint-Cloud . In 1893, he won thePrix de Rome for music, and upon his return fromItaly , he began a career as a conductor. At the personal request ofClaude Debussy , Büsser lead the fourth and all subsequant performances of "Pelléas at Mélisande". Büsser also became a protégé ofJules Massenet , and was one of the elder composer's closest friends during the last two decades of his life.Büsser began teaching at the Conservatoire in Paris in 1921, and was promoted to professor of composition in 1931. Noted students include the Japanese composer
Tomojiro Ikenouchi (1906-1991). The Académie elected him as member in 1938.He married the famous dramatic soprano
Yvonne Gall (1885-1972) in Paris.Büsser composed a wide range of compositions, especially for voice, but his most important works were for the stage. His operas include "Daphnis et Chloé", "Colomba", and "Les noces corinthiennes". Several stage works demonstrate his comic wit, especially "Le carosse du Saint Sacrement" and "Roxelane", as well as the farce "Diaforus 60", which is an update of
Molière 's "Le malade imaginaire ". His music exhibits a sophisticated compositional style and finely crafted orchestration, however, he remained faithful of French 19th century traditions.Henri Büsser died in
Paris in 1973 at the age of 101.Operas
*"Hélène", before 1890, incomplete
*"Les accordailles", 1890, unperformed
*"Les Marivaudages", 1891, unperformed
*"Daphnis et Chloé", 1897
*"Le miracle de perles", 1898, unperformed
*"Blanc et noir", 1900
*"Colomba", 1921
*"Les noces corinthiennes", 1922
*"La pie borgne", 1927
*"Rhapsodie arménienne", 1930
*"Le carrosse du Saint-Sacrement", 1948
*"Roxelane", 1948
*"Diafoirus 60", 1963
*"La Vénus d'Ille", 1964Writings
*"De Pelléas aux Indes galantes—De la flûte au tambour", (memoires), 1955
Sources
*Sadie, Stanley (Ed.) [1992] (1994). "The New Grove Dictionary of Opera", vol. 1, A-D, chpt: "Büsser [Busser] , (Paul-)Henri" by Arthur Hoérée & Richard Langham Smith, New York: MacMillan. ISBN 0-935859-92-6.
External links
* [http://www.classical-composers.org/comp/busser Classical Composers Database Profile]
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