Georges Marty
Encyclopedia
Georges-Eugène Marty was a French conductor and composer associated with both major opera houses in Paris.
there in 1875. Marty took the first prize for harmony in 1878 and the Prix de Rome
in 1882 with his cantata Edith (he was a pupil of Massenet). After his stay in Rome, he travelled to Sicily, Tunisia and Germany before returning to the French capital and gaining much experience as a chorus master.
His compositions include Ballade d’hiver (1885), Overture Balthasar (1887), Matinée de printemps (1888), Lysic (1888), Merlin enchanté, art songs and piano works. Le duc de Ferrare, a drame lyrique in three acts, was composed after his return from Rome but first performed only on 30 May 1899 (at the Théâtre de la Renaissance
, with Gabriel Soulacroix
, Louis Delaquerrière
and Mary Lebey). He became the teacher of the vocal ensemble class at the Conservatoire in 1892, and head of singing at the Opéra in 1893.
Marty was involved in productions at Théâtre Lyrique including Samson et Dalila, and of La jolie fille de Perth
at the Eden Theatre. At the Opéra he participated in productions of Gwendoline, Djelma, Tannhäuser
, Messidor
and Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
. When the Paris Opéra concerts were created he conducted modern orchestral works.
He made his debut at the Opéra Comique
was conducting Manon
on 11 March 1900; he then conducted the first ever production at the Salle Favart of Iphigénie en Tauride
in June that year. His repertoire also included Joseph
, Mireille
and Les visitandines and the creation of Le follet and Phoebé.
Marty was the conductor of the Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire
from 12 June 1901 to 11 October 1908, directing a wide repertoire from Bach to contemporary composers, giving and several local premieres.
In 1906 he replaced Jules Danbé
at the Casino de Vichy
classical concerts, but although in otherwise good health, he died there from disease of the liver just as the 1908 season was finishing. His wife was a mezzo-soprano
active in both the opera house and on the concert platform; his only son was killed at the beginning of the First World War.
Career
Showing musical talent very early on, and entering the Paris Conservatoire aged 12, he won the first prize for solfegeSolfege
In music, solfège is a pedagogical solmization technique for the teaching of sight-singing in which each note of the score is sung to a special syllable, called a solfège syllable...
there in 1875. Marty took the first prize for harmony in 1878 and the Prix de Rome
Prix de Rome
The Prix de Rome was a scholarship for arts students, principally of painting, sculpture, and architecture. It was created, initially for painters and sculptors, in 1663 in France during the reign of Louis XIV. It was an annual bursary for promising artists having proved their talents by...
in 1882 with his cantata Edith (he was a pupil of Massenet). After his stay in Rome, he travelled to Sicily, Tunisia and Germany before returning to the French capital and gaining much experience as a chorus master.
His compositions include Ballade d’hiver (1885), Overture Balthasar (1887), Matinée de printemps (1888), Lysic (1888), Merlin enchanté, art songs and piano works. Le duc de Ferrare, a drame lyrique in three acts, was composed after his return from Rome but first performed only on 30 May 1899 (at the Théâtre de la Renaissance
Théâtre de la Renaissance
The name Théâtre de la Renaissance has been used successively for three distinct Parisian theatre companies. The first two companies, which were short-lived enterprises in the 19th century, used the Salle Ventadour, now an office building on the Rue Méhul in the 2nd arrondissement.The current...
, with Gabriel Soulacroix
Gabriel Soulacroix
Gabriel-Valentin Soulacroix was a French operatic baritone...
, Louis Delaquerrière
Louis Delaquerrière
Louis-Achille Delaquerrière, born in Les Loges, France 25 February 1858, died 1937 was a French opera singer, and later a teacher active in France.-Life and career:...
and Mary Lebey). He became the teacher of the vocal ensemble class at the Conservatoire in 1892, and head of singing at the Opéra in 1893.
Marty was involved in productions at Théâtre Lyrique including Samson et Dalila, and of La jolie fille de Perth
La jolie fille de Perth
La jolie fille de Perth is an opera in four acts by Georges Bizet , from a libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Jules Adenis, after the novel by Sir Walter Scott...
at the Eden Theatre. At the Opéra he participated in productions of Gwendoline, Djelma, Tannhäuser
Tannhäuser (opera)
Tannhäuser is an opera in three acts, music and text by Richard Wagner, based on the two German legends of Tannhäuser and the song contest at Wartburg...
, Messidor
Messidor (opera)
Messidor is a four-act operatic drame lyrique by Alfred Bruneau to a French libretto by Emile Zola. The opera premiered on February 19, 1897 in Paris...
and Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg is an opera in three acts, written and composed by Richard Wagner. It is among the longest operas still commonly performed today, usually taking around four and a half hours. It was first performed at the Königliches Hof- und National-Theater in Munich, on June 21,...
. When the Paris Opéra concerts were created he conducted modern orchestral works.
He made his debut at the Opéra Comique
Opera Comique
The Opera Comique was a 19th-century theatre constructed in Westminster, London, between Wych Street and Holywell Street with entrances on the East Strand. It opened in 1870 and was demolished in 1902, to make way for the construction of the Aldwych and Kingsway...
was conducting Manon
Manon
Manon is an opéra comique in five acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Henri Meilhac and Philippe Gille, based on the 1731 novel L’histoire du chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut by the Abbé Prévost...
on 11 March 1900; he then conducted the first ever production at the Salle Favart of Iphigénie en Tauride
Iphigénie en Tauride
Iphigénie en Tauride is an opera by Christoph Willibald Gluck in four acts. It was his fifth opera for the French stage. The libretto was written by Nicolas-François Guillard....
in June that year. His repertoire also included Joseph
Joseph (opera)
Joseph is an opera in three acts by the French composer Étienne Méhul. The libretto, by Alexandre Duval, is based on the Biblical story of Joseph and his brothers. The work was first performed by the Opéra-Comique in Paris on 17 February 1807 at the Théâtre Feydeau...
, Mireille
Mireille (opera)
Mireille is an opera in five acts by Charles Gounod to a French libretto by Michel Carré after Frédéric Mistral's poem Mireio.-Composition history:...
and Les visitandines and the creation of Le follet and Phoebé.
Marty was the conductor of the Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire
Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire
The Orchestre de la Société des concerts du Conservatoire was a symphony orchestra established in Paris in 1828. It gave its first concert on 9 March 1828 with music by Beethoven, Rossini, Meifreid, Rode and Cherubini....
from 12 June 1901 to 11 October 1908, directing a wide repertoire from Bach to contemporary composers, giving and several local premieres.
In 1906 he replaced Jules Danbé
Jules Danbé
Jules Danbé was a French conductor, mainly of opera, born in Caen on 16 November 1840, and died 30 October 1905. Trained as a violinist, he was a pupil of Girard and Savard, in 1859 winning a first prize for violin...
at the Casino de Vichy
Vichy
Vichy is a commune in the department of Allier in Auvergne in central France. It belongs to the historic province of Bourbonnais.It is known as a spa and resort town and was the de facto capital of Vichy France during the World War II Nazi German occupation from 1940 to 1944.The town's inhabitants...
classical concerts, but although in otherwise good health, he died there from disease of the liver just as the 1908 season was finishing. His wife was a mezzo-soprano
Mezzo-soprano
A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above...
active in both the opera house and on the concert platform; his only son was killed at the beginning of the First World War.