Edmond Dédé
Encyclopedia
Edmond Dédé was a free-born Creole musician and composer. He moved to Europe to study in Paris in 1857 and settled in France. His compositions include Quasimodo Symphony, Le Palmier Overture, Le Sermente de L'Arabe and Patriotisme. He served for 27 years as the conductor of the orchestra at the Théatre l'Alcazar in Paris.
around 1809, after the Haitian Revolution
. His father was a militia unit bandmaster. As a boy, Dédé first learned the clarinet
, but soon switched to the violin
, on which he was considered a prodigy
. He would later go on to perform compositions of his own as well as those by Rodolphe Kreutzer
, a favored composer of his. Dédé's teachers in his youth included violinists Constantin Debergue and Italian-born Ludovico Gabici, who was the director of the St. Charles Theater Orchestra. He was taught music theory by Eugène Prévost and New York-born black musician Charles Richard Lambert, the father of Sidney and Charles Lucien Lambert
.
Dédé's instruction from Gabici ended when white hostility towards musicians of colour forced him to flee to Mexico. He continued his studies there. When he eventually returned to the US around 1852, he worked as a cigar maker, saving money to be able to travel to Europe. He went first to Belgium, then Paris, where he managed to obtain an ultimately successful audition at the Paris Conservatoire
in 1857. He studied at the Conservatoire with Jean Delphin Alard
and Jacques-François Halevy.
Samuel Snaer, Jr. (1835–1900), an African-American conductor and musician, conducted the first performance in New Orleans of Dédé's Quasimodo Symphony. It was premiered on the night of May 10, 1865 in the New Orleans Theater to a large audience of prominent free people of color
of New Orleans and Northern whites. Dédé was not present at this performance.
After settling in Bordeaux in 1864, Dédé returned to New Orleans only once, in 1893, to give a performance. During his journey to the United States, Dédé lost his precious Cremona
violin. Forced to use a different instrument, Dédé still performed to accolades.
Edmond Dédé died in 1903 in Paris. Many of his compositions have been preserved at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France
http://bnf.fr/ in Paris.
Early life and education
Dédé's parents had arrived in New Orleans from the French West IndiesFrench West Indies
The term French West Indies or French Antilles refers to the seven territories currently under French sovereignty in the Antilles islands of the Caribbean: the two overseas departments of Guadeloupe and Martinique, the two overseas collectivities of Saint Martin and Saint Barthélemy, plus...
around 1809, after the Haitian Revolution
Haitian Revolution
The Haitian Revolution was a period of conflict in the French colony of Saint-Domingue, which culminated in the elimination of slavery there and the founding of the Haitian republic...
. His father was a militia unit bandmaster. As a boy, Dédé first learned the clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
, but soon switched to the violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, on which he was considered a prodigy
Child prodigy
A child prodigy is someone who, at an early age, masters one or more skills far beyond his or her level of maturity. One criterion for classifying prodigies is: a prodigy is a child, typically younger than 18 years old, who is performing at the level of a highly trained adult in a very demanding...
. He would later go on to perform compositions of his own as well as those by Rodolphe Kreutzer
Rodolphe Kreutzer
Rodolphe Kreutzer was a German violinist, teacher, conductor, and composer of forty French operas.-Biography:...
, a favored composer of his. Dédé's teachers in his youth included violinists Constantin Debergue and Italian-born Ludovico Gabici, who was the director of the St. Charles Theater Orchestra. He was taught music theory by Eugène Prévost and New York-born black musician Charles Richard Lambert, the father of Sidney and Charles Lucien Lambert
Charles Lucien Lambert
Charles Lucien Lambert, also known as Lucien Lambert , was a black American composer, born a free person of color in New Orleans before the American Civil War...
.
Dédé's instruction from Gabici ended when white hostility towards musicians of colour forced him to flee to Mexico. He continued his studies there. When he eventually returned to the US around 1852, he worked as a cigar maker, saving money to be able to travel to Europe. He went first to Belgium, then Paris, where he managed to obtain an ultimately successful audition at the Paris Conservatoire
Conservatoire de Paris
The Conservatoire de Paris is a college of music and dance founded in 1795, now situated in the avenue Jean Jaurès in the 19th arrondissement of Paris, France...
in 1857. He studied at the Conservatoire with Jean Delphin Alard
Jean Delphin Alard
Jean-Delphin Alard was a French violinist.Alard was born in Bayonne, the son of an amateur violinist. From 1827 he was a pupil of F. A. Habeneck at the Paris Conservatoire, where he succeeded Pierre Baillot as professor in 1843, retaining the post till 1875. He was also a pupil of François-Joseph...
and Jacques-François Halevy.
Marriage and family
In 1864 Dédéhe married a Frenchwoman, Sylvie Leflet, and settled in Bordeaux. They had one son, Eugene Arcade Dédé. He became a classical music composer as well.Paris
Edmond Dédé served for 27 years as the conductor of the orchestra at the Theatre l'Alcazar in Paris. He also conducted light music performances at the Folies Bordelaises.Samuel Snaer, Jr. (1835–1900), an African-American conductor and musician, conducted the first performance in New Orleans of Dédé's Quasimodo Symphony. It was premiered on the night of May 10, 1865 in the New Orleans Theater to a large audience of prominent free people of color
Free people of color
A free person of color in the context of the history of slavery in the Americas, is a person of full or partial African descent who was not enslaved...
of New Orleans and Northern whites. Dédé was not present at this performance.
After settling in Bordeaux in 1864, Dédé returned to New Orleans only once, in 1893, to give a performance. During his journey to the United States, Dédé lost his precious Cremona
Cremona
Cremona is a city and comune in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po River in the middle of the Pianura Padana . It is the capital of the province of Cremona and the seat of the local City and Province governments...
violin. Forced to use a different instrument, Dédé still performed to accolades.
Edmond Dédé died in 1903 in Paris. Many of his compositions have been preserved at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France
Bibliothèque nationale de France
The is the National Library of France, located in Paris. It is intended to be the repository of all that is published in France. The current president of the library is Bruno Racine.-History:...
http://bnf.fr/ in Paris.
Some compositions
- "Mon Pauvre Coeur" (1852)
- Quasimodo Symphony (1865)
- Le Palmier Overture (1865)
- Le Sermente de L'Arabe (1865) (written during a stint in Algeria)
- Mephisto Masque (186?) (ophicleide and orchestra or piano solo)
External links
- Brief biography of Dédé
- Edmond Dede, African American Composer, Violinist & Conductor at chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com