Gabriel Pierné

Henri Constant Gabriel Pierné (Metz, 16 August 1863 – Ploujean, Finistère, 17 July, 1937) was a French composer, conductor, and organist.

Biography

Pierné was the organist at Saint Clotilde Basilica in Paris from 1890-1898, succeeding his teacher César Franck, and himself being succeeded by another distinguished Franck pupil, Charles Tournemire. Associated for many years with Edouard Colonne's concert series, the "Concerts Colonne", from 1903, Pierné became chief conductor of this series in 1910, and remained in the post until 1934.

He wrote several operas and choral and symphonic pieces with Catholic themes, as well as a good deal of chamber music; his most famous composition is probably the oratorio "La Croisade des Enfants". Also notable such shorter works as his "March of the Little Lead Soldiers"; the popular "Marche des petits Faunes" is from his ballet "Cydalise et le Chèvre-pied". His chamber work, "Introduction et variations sur une ronde populaire", for saxophone quartet is a standard in saxophone quartet repertoire.

The Place Gabriel Pierné in Paris is named for him.

Notable premieres as conductor

*Stravinsky, "The Firebird", Ballets Russes, Paris, 25 June 1910

elected compositions

Orchestral works

* Serenade for Strings;
*"Trois pièces formant suite de concert", 1883;
*"Suite no. 1", 1883;
*"Envois de Rome" ("Suite – Ouverture – Les Elfes"), ca. 1885;
*"Fantaisie-ballet", for piano and orchestra, 1885;
*Piano concerto, op. 42, 1887;
*"Scherzo-caprice", for piano and orchestra, 1890;
*"Ballet de cour", 1901;
*"Concertstück", for harp and orchestra, 1903;
*"Poème symphonique", for piano and orchestra, 1903;
*Two suites from "Ramuntcho", 1910;
*"Paysages franciscains", op. 43, 1920;
*"Fantasie basques", for harp and orchestra, 1927;
*"Divertissement sur un thème pastoral", op. 49, 1932;
*"Gulliver au pays de Lilliput", 1935;
*"Viennoise", suite, op. 49bis, 1935

Works for band

* "Marche des petits soldats de plomb" ("March of the Tin Soldiers")
* "Marche solennelle" (1899) (dedicated to Gustave Wettge)
* "Petit Gavotte et Farandole"
* "Ramuntcho"

Operas

*"La coupe enchantée", 1895;
*"Vendée" (Drame lrique), 1897;
*"La fille de Tabarin" (opéra comique), 1901;
*"On ne badine pas avec l’amour" (opéra comique), 1910;
*"Sophie Arnould" (opéra comique), 1927;
*"Fragonard", 1934

Ballets

*"Le Collier de Saphir", 1891;
*"Les joyeuses commères de Paris", 1892;
*"Bouton-d’or", 1895;
*"Cydalise et le chèvre-pied", 1923;
*"Impressions de music-hall", 1927;
*"Giration", 1934;
*"Images", 1935

Music for theatre

*"Yanthis", 1894
*"La princesse lontaine", 1895
*"La Samaritaine", 1897
*"Ramuntcho", 1908
*"Les Cathédrales", 1915

Piano works

*"Étude de concert", op. 13 in c mineur

References

* [http://www.naxos.com/composerinfo/805.htm Naxos.com: Gabriel Pierné]
* [http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3870/is_200204/ai_n9071875 "Of Church and circus": biography]
*IMSLP|id=Pierné, Gabriel|cname=Gabriel Pierné