Joseph Daussoigne-Méhul
Encyclopedia
Joseph Daussoigne-Méhul (10 June 1790 - 10 March 1875) was a French composer
and music educator. He served as the first director of the Royal Conservatory of Liège from 1826-1862; having been appointed to that post by William I of the Netherlands
. In addition to his duties as director, he also taught courses in harmony
and music composition at the school. Among his notable pupils were Adolphe Samuel
, César Franck
, and Jean-Théodore Radoux
, the latter of whom succeeded him as conservatory director. In 1859 he was made a Commander of the Order of Leopold.
, he legally changed his name to Joseph Daussoigne-Méhul on 12 August 1845 when he was 55 years old. He and his younger brother had been adopted by their uncle, the composer Étienne Méhul
, in 1797 when he was seven years old. His brother served as a leuitenant in the French Army during the War of 1812
and was killed in action.
In 1799 Daussoigne-Méhul entered the Conservatoire de Paris
when he was just nine years old. He studied there for the next 10 years, during which time he received several academic honours and competition prizes from the consevertoire; including premiere prixs in music theory (1799), music composition (1803), piano (1806), counterpoint (1808), and fugue (1808). His teachers included Louis Adam
(piano), Charles Simon Catel
(harmony), and his uncle (composition). In 1803 he began teaching music theory at the conservatoire.
In 1809 Daussoigne-Méhul won the Prix de Rome
with the cantata
Agar dans le désert. As a result, he received a scholarship to continue his studies at the French Academy in Rome
located in the Villa Medici
, within the Villa Borghese
, on the Pincio. He accordingly resigned his teaching post at the Paris Conservatoire and came to Rome where he studied from February 1810 through late 1813. He returned to teaching at the conservatoire in Paris in 1814, leaving their in 1826 when he became the first director of the Royal Conservatory of Liège. He remained in that post for the next 35 years.
Daussoigne-Méhul died in Liège in 1875 at the age of 84. He was married for more than 50 years to Marie-Adélaïde Bellet who was the daughter of Parisian building contractor Alexandre-Godefroy Bellet. Their son was the pianist, organist, composer, and music critic Alexandre-Gustave Daussoigne-Méhul (1830-1932).
s, and some chamber music
. His comic opera
, Aspasie et Pericles, was premiered at the Paris Opera
in 1820. He notably completed his uncle's unfinished opera Valentine de Milan which premiered at the Opéra-Comique
in 1822. He also composed new recitatives for his uncle's opera Stratonice
in 1821. Although he had admirers among his contemporaries, his music had no lasting impact and fell into obscurity by the late 19th century. None of his music has survived.
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and music educator. He served as the first director of the Royal Conservatory of Liège from 1826-1862; having been appointed to that post by William I of the Netherlands
William I of the Netherlands
William I Frederick, born Willem Frederik Prins van Oranje-Nassau , was a Prince of Orange and the first King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg....
. In addition to his duties as director, he also taught courses in harmony
Harmony
In music, harmony is the use of simultaneous pitches , or chords. The study of harmony involves chords and their construction and chord progressions and the principles of connection that govern them. Harmony is often said to refer to the "vertical" aspect of music, as distinguished from melodic...
and music composition at the school. Among his notable pupils were Adolphe Samuel
Adolphe Samuel
Adolphe-Abraham Samuel was a Belgian music critic, conductor and composer. Samuel was Jewish, and late in life converted to Christianity. He spent much time in Brussels where he was a pupil of François-Joseph Fétis, and where he was a friend of Hector Berlioz...
, César Franck
César Franck
César-Auguste-Jean-Guillaume-Hubert Franck was a composer, pianist, organist, and music teacher who worked in Paris during his adult life....
, and Jean-Théodore Radoux
Jean-Théodore Radoux
Jean Théodore Radoux was a Belgian composer and bassoonist. In 1859 he won the Belgian Prix de Rome for his cantata Le Juif errant which he had composed earlier that year...
, the latter of whom succeeded him as conservatory director. In 1859 he was made a Commander of the Order of Leopold.
Life and career
Born Louis-Joseph Daussoigne in GivetGivet
Givet is a commune in the Ardennes department in northern France very close to the Belgian border. It lies on the river Meuse where Emperor Charles V built the fortress of Charlemont....
, he legally changed his name to Joseph Daussoigne-Méhul on 12 August 1845 when he was 55 years old. He and his younger brother had been adopted by their uncle, the composer Étienne Méhul
Étienne Méhul
Etienne Nicolas Méhul was a French composer, "the most important opera composer in France during the Revolution." He was also the first composer to be called a "Romantic".-Life:...
, in 1797 when he was seven years old. His brother served as a leuitenant in the French Army during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
and was killed in action.
In 1799 Daussoigne-Méhul entered the Conservatoire de Paris
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...
when he was just nine years old. He studied there for the next 10 years, during which time he received several academic honours and competition prizes from the consevertoire; including premiere prixs in music theory (1799), music composition (1803), piano (1806), counterpoint (1808), and fugue (1808). His teachers included Louis Adam
Louis Adam
Louis Adam Johann Ludwig Adam, was a French composer, music teacher, and piano virtuoso....
(piano), Charles Simon Catel
Charles Simon Catel
Charles Simon Catel was a French composer and educator born at L'Aigle, Orne.-Biography:Catel studied at the Royal School of Singing in Paris. He was the chief assistant to François-Joseph Gossec at the orchestra of the National Guard in 1790...
(harmony), and his uncle (composition). In 1803 he began teaching music theory at the conservatoire.
In 1809 Daussoigne-Méhul won 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...
with the cantata
Cantata
A cantata is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir....
Agar dans le désert. As a result, he received a scholarship to continue his studies at the French Academy in Rome
French Academy in Rome
The French Academy in Rome is an Academy located in the Villa Medici, within the Villa Borghese, on the Pincio in Rome, Italy.-History:...
located in the Villa Medici
Villa Medici
The Villa Medici is a mannerist villa and an architectural complex with a garden contiguous with the larger Borghese gardens, on the Pincian Hill next to Trinità dei Monti in Rome, Italy. The Villa Medici, founded by Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany and now property of the French...
, within the Villa Borghese
Villa Borghese gardens
Villa Borghese is a large landscape garden in the naturalistic English manner in Rome, containing a number of buildings, museums and attractions. It is the second largest public park in Rome after that of the Villa Doria Pamphili...
, on the Pincio. He accordingly resigned his teaching post at the Paris Conservatoire and came to Rome where he studied from February 1810 through late 1813. He returned to teaching at the conservatoire in Paris in 1814, leaving their in 1826 when he became the first director of the Royal Conservatory of Liège. He remained in that post for the next 35 years.
Daussoigne-Méhul died in Liège in 1875 at the age of 84. He was married for more than 50 years to Marie-Adélaïde Bellet who was the daughter of Parisian building contractor Alexandre-Godefroy Bellet. Their son was the pianist, organist, composer, and music critic Alexandre-Gustave Daussoigne-Méhul (1830-1932).
Composer
As a composer, Daussoigne-Méhul produced several works for solo piano, some symphonic music, a few operaOpera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
s, and some chamber music
Chamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
. His comic opera
Comic opera
Comic opera denotes a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending.Forms of comic opera first developed in late 17th-century Italy. By the 1730s, a new operatic genre, opera buffa, emerged as an alternative to opera seria...
, Aspasie et Pericles, was premiered at the Paris Opera
Paris Opera
The Paris Opera is the primary opera company of Paris, France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the Académie d'Opéra and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and renamed the Académie Royale de Musique...
in 1820. He notably completed his uncle's unfinished opera Valentine de Milan which premiered at the Opéra-Comique
Opéra-Comique
The Opéra-Comique is a Parisian opera company, which was founded around 1714 by some of the popular theatres of the Parisian fairs. In 1762 the company was merged with, and for a time took the name of its chief rival the Comédie-Italienne at the Hôtel de Bourgogne, and was also called the...
in 1822. He also composed new recitatives for his uncle's opera Stratonice
Stratonice (opera)
Stratonice is a one-act opéra comique by Étienne Méhul to a libretto by François-Benoît Hoffman, first performed at the Théâtre Favart, Paris, on 3 May 1792...
in 1821. Although he had admirers among his contemporaries, his music had no lasting impact and fell into obscurity by the late 19th century. None of his music has survived.