André Caplet

André Caplet (November 23, 1878 – April 22, 1925) was a French composer and conductor now known primarily through his orchestrations of works by Claude Debussy.

Biography

Caplet was born on a boat sailing between Le Havre (Seine-Maritime) and Honfleur (Calvados), the youngest child of a modest family.

He exhibited a unusual talent and originality during his musical education, and won the Prix de Rome in 1901 ahead of Maurice Ravel. He became a close friend of Debussy, sometimes serving as translator, and he orchestrated part of Debussy's "Le Martyre de Saint-Sébastien" (Bernac 1978, p. 221; Orledge 2003). He also collaborated with Debussy in the orchestration of "La Boîte à joujoux". In 1911, Caplet prepared an orchestration of Debussy's "Children's Corner", which, along with his orchestration of "Clair de lune" from the "Suite bergamasque" is probably the most widely performed and recorded example of his work.

Caplet was a composer in his own right, whose very innovative works have been sadly overlooked for the most part. Specially interesting is his instrumental use of the voice, as in his "Septuor à cordes vocales et instrumentales". He also wrote two works (differing orchestrations) based on the short story "The Mask of the Red Death" by Edgar Allan Poe: "Conte fantastique" for harp and string quartet, and a symphonic study "Le Masque de la mort rouge".

Caplet served as conductor of the Boston Opera from 1910 to 1914.

While serving in the military during World War I, he was gassed, which resulted in the pleurisy that killed him. He died in Neuilly-sur-Seine (Hauts-de-Seine), a suburb of Paris at age 46.

Compositions

Works for voice and piano

*"Viens! ... Une flûte invisible", (Hugo), August 1900
*"Myrrha", (F. Beissier) 1901
*"Myrrha", cantata, Prix de Rome, 1901
*"Green", (Verlaine), 1902
*"Il était une fois", (Richepin), January 1903
*"Poème de mai (Tu nous souriais)", (A. Silvestre), 1902
*"Dans la fontaine", (P. Gravollet), 1903
*"Papillons", (P. Gravollet), February 1903
*"Le Livre rose", (P.J. Pain), 1898–1901::1.) "Le livre ou je veux lire"::2.) "Premier prix"::3.) "Les pleurs de bébé"::4.) "Le furet du bois, Mesdames"
*"Chanson d'automne", (A. Silvestre), 1900
*"Paroles à l'absente", (G. Jean-Aubry), 1908::1.) "Préludes"::2.) "Ce sable fin et fuyant"::3.) "Angoise"
*"Les Prières", 1914–1917, (also for harp and string quartet)::1.) "Oraison dominicale"::2.) "Salutation angélique"::3.) "Symbole des apôtres"
*"Le Vieux coffret", (R. de Gourmont), 1914–1917::1.) "Songe"::2.) "Berceuse"::3.) "In una selva oscura"::4.) "Forêt"
*"En regardant ces belles fleurs", (C. d'Orleans), October 1914
*"Nuit d'Automne", (H. de Regnier), 9 March 1915
*"Prière normande", (J. Hebertot), 1916
*"Solitude", (J. Ochse), 1915
*"Quand reverrai-je, hélas!...", (J. de Bellay), 27 August 1916, (published with harp accompaniment by Lyra)
*"La Croix douloureuse", (R.P. Lacordaire), for the armed forces
*"Détresse!...", (H. Charasson), 9 November 1918
*"Trois Fables", (La Fontaine), 1919::1.) "Le corbeau et le renard"::2.) "La cigale et la fourmi"::3.) "Le loup et l'agneau"
*"Le Pain quotidien", (15 exercises), 1920
*"Cinq Ballades françaises", (P. Fort)::1.) "Cloche d'aube"::2.) "La Ronde"::3.) "Notre chaumière en Yveline"::4.) "Songe d'une nuit d'été"::5.) "L'Adieu en barque"
*"L'hymne à la naissance du matin", (reduction, P. Fort), November 1920
*"La Cloche felée", (C. Baudelaire), January 1922
*"La Mort des pauvres", (C. Baudelaire), June 1922
*"Le Miroir de Jésus", (reduction) ( H. Gheon), Summer 1923
*"La Part à Dieu", (chanson populaire), 1925

Voice and organ

*"Pie Jesu", March 1919
*"Panis angelicus", 21 June 1919
*"Pater noster", November 1919
*"Tu es sacerdos", 27 July 1920
*"Les Prières", 1914-1917

Voice and flute

*"Corbeille de fruits", (R. Tagore), September 1924
*"Écoute mon coeur", 19 September 1924

Voice & harp

*"Sonnet : "Doux fut le trait", (Ronsard), 8 April 1924, published with "Quand reverraije..." by Lyra

Harp solo

*"(Deux) Divertissements à la française, à la espagnole"

Voice & orchestra

*"Myrrha", scène lyrique, (1er Grand Prix de Rome), (F. Beissier), 1901
*"Il était une fois", (J. Richepin)
*"Paroles a l'absente", (G. Jean-Aubry), 1908::1.) "Préludes"::2.) "Angoisse"
*"Le Vieux Coffret", (R. de Gourmont)
*"La Croix douloureuse", (R.P. LaCordaire)
*"Détresse!...", (H. Carasson)
*"Hymne à la naissance du matin", (P. Fort), November 1920
*"Les Prières" (voice, harp, string quartet) (see under voice and piano)

A capella chorus

*"Messe à trois voix", 1919-1920 ::1.) "Kyrie eleison"::2.) "Gloria"::3.) "Sanctus"::4.) "Agnus Dei"::5.) "O Salutaris"
*"Inscriptions champêtres", (R. de Gourmont), August 1914

Mixed chorus & orchestra

*"Été", (V. Hugo), 1899
*"Paques citadines", (C. Spinelli), 1920

Orchestral works

*"Suite d'orchestre (sur des mélodies populaires persanes)",1900
*"Legende" (suite symphonique pour harpe chromatique et instruments à cordes), 1905 (precursor to Conte Fantastique?)
*"Étude symphonique"
*"Le Masque de la mort rouge pour harpe chromatique principale", 1908
*"Marche solennelle pour le centenaire de la Villa Medicis", 1903
*"Salammbô", (poème symphonique) 1902
*"Marche heroïque de la Ve Division, pour musique militaire", 1917
*"Epiphanie", fresque musical pour violoncelle principal et orchestre", 1923

Orchestral transcriptions

*"Children's Corner" (Debussy)
*"Pagodes" (Debussy)

Chamber music

*"Quintette" pour piano, flute, hautbois, clarinette et basson", 1898::1.) "Allegro"::2.) "Adagio"::3.) "Scherzo"::4.) "Finale"
*"Suite persane" pour 2 flutes, 2 hautbois, 2 clarinettes, 2 bassons, et 2 cors", 1900, original version::1.) "Scharki", (allegretto) ::2.) "Nihavend", (andantino)::3.) "Iskia Samaisi", (vivo)
*"Septour", pour quatour a cordes et 3 voix feminines", 1909
*"Sonate" pour piano, voix, violocelle", 1919
*"Conte Fantastique" d'après Poe pour harpe à pedales et quatour à cordes", (published 1924)
*"Le Miroir de Jesus" pour voix principale, 3 voix accompagnantes, quatour a cordes et harpe", (original version: "Été"), 1923
*"Sonata da chiesa" pour violon et orgue", 1924::1.) "Quiet"::2.) "Interieur"::3.) "Alleluia"

Cello & piano

*"Élegie", 1903
*"Allegresse", 1903
*"Épiphanie"
*"Improvisations"

Flute & piano

*"Feuillets d'album", 1901
*"Rêverie et Petite Valse", 1897
*"Viens! Une flûte invisible", 1900, voice, flute, piano

Piano, two hands

*"Menuet dans le style ancien", 1897
*"Deux pièces", 1900

Piano, four hands

*"Prelude", 1899
*"Do, Re, Me, Fa, Sol (petites pièces faciles)", 1901

Reductions for piano, 4 hands & for 2 pianos, 4 hands or 6 hands

*"Images" by Debussy::1.) "Rondes de Printemps"::2.) "Gigues"::3.) "Iberia"
*"La Mer", Debussy
*"Le Martyre de saint Sébastien", voix et piano
*"La Mer", Debussy, 2 pianos, 6 mains.

ources

French government publication on Caplet.

External links

* [http://hdl.handle.net/1802/4061 Le martyre de Saint-Sébastien: mystère en cinq actes, music by Debussy, transcribed by Caplet] Score from Sibley Music Library Digital Scores Collection
* [http://www.resmusica.com/aff_articles.php3?num_art=2875 ResMusicca.com: André Caplet] (in French)
* [http://www.andre-caplet.fr/ André-Caplet.fr] (in French)
* [http://www.musicologie.org/Biographies/c/caplet_andre.html Musicologie.org: André Caplet] (in French)

References

*Bernac, Pierre. "The Interpretation of French Song". New York: Norton, 1978.
*Orledge, Robert: "Caplet, André (Léon)", Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed 25 November 2003), http://www.grovemusic.com.