Pierné, (Henri-Constant-) Gabriel
Pierné, (Henri-Constant-) Gabriel
Pierné, (Henri-Constant-) Gabriel, noted French composer, conductor, and organist, cousin of Paul Pierné; b. Metz, Aug. 16, 1863; d. Ploujean, near Morlaix, July 17, 1937. He studied at the Paris Cons. (1871–82), where his teachers were Marmontel (piano), Franck (organ), and Massenet (composition). He won 1st prizes for piano (1879), counterpoint and fugue (1881), and organ (1882), and was awarded the Grand Prix de Rome (1882) with the cantata Edith. He succeeded Franck as organist at Ste.-Clotilde (1890), where he remained until 1898. He was asst. conductor (1903–10) and conductor (1910–34) of the Concerts Colonne. Pierné was elected a member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in 1925. His music reveals the hand of an expert craftsman.
Works
dramatic: Opera: La Coupe enchantée (Royan, Aug. 24,1895; rev. version, Paris, Dec. 26,1905); Vendée (Lyons, March 11,1897); La Fille de Tabarin (Paris, Feb. 20,1901); On ne badine pas avec l’amour (Paris, May 30, 1910); Sophie Arnould, lyric comedy, based on episodes from the life of the famous singer (Paris, Feb. 21, 1927). ballet and pantomimes:Le Collier de saphirs (1891); Les Joyeuses Commères de Paris (1892); Bouton d’or (1893); Le Docteur Blanc (1893); Salomé (1895); Cydalise et le chèvre-pied (1919; Paris, Jan. 15, 1923; as an orch. suite, 1926); Impressions de Music-Hall,”ballet à l’Américaine” (Paris, April 6, 1927); Giration (1934); Fragonard (1934); Images,”divertissement sur un thème pastoral” (Paris, June 19, 1935). orch.:Suite de concert (1883); Première suite d’orchestre (1883); Ouverture symphonique (1885); Piano Concerto (1887); Marche solonnelle (1889); Pantomime (1889); Scherzo-Caprice for Piano and Orch. (1890); Poème symphonique for Piano and Orch. (1901); Ballet de cour (1901); Paysages franciscains (1920); Gulliver au pays de Lilliput (Paris, June 23,1937). chamber:Pastorale variée dans le style ancien for Wind Instruments (also for Piano); Berceuse for Violin and Piano; Caprice for Cello and Piano; Canzonetta for Clarinet and Piano; Solo de concert for Bassoon and Piano; Variations libres et Finale for Flute, Violin, Viola, Cello, and Harp. Piano: 15 pièces (1883); Étude de concert; Album pour mes petits amis (containing the famous Marche des petits soldats de plomb); Humoresque; Rêverie; Ariette dans le style ancien; Pastorale variée; Sérénade à Colombine; Sérénade vénitienne; Barcarolle for 2 Pianos; folk song arrangements. vocal: oratorios:La Croisade des enfants for Chorus of Children and Adults (Paris, Jan. 18, 1905); Les Enfants à Bethléem for Soloists, Children’s Chorus, and Orch. (Amsterdam, April 13, 1907); Les Fioretti de St. François d’Assise (1912). song cycles:Contes (1897); 3 Adaptations musicales (1902); 3 mélodies (1904); 38 other songs; folk song arrangements.
Bibliography
G. Masson, G. P., musicien lorrain (Nancy and Metz, 1987).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire