Michel-Joseph Gebauer
Encyclopedia
Michel-Joseph Gebauer was a French
oboist
, violin
ist, viol
player, bandmaster
, and composer
.
Gebauer was born in La Fère
in Aisne
. He became an oboist in the Royal Swiss Guard at the age of 14, as well as becoming expert at both the violin and viol. In 1791 he became oboist in the Garde Nationale, and in 1794 professor at the Conservatoire de Paris
, where he stayed until 1802. Thereafter he served as bandmaster of the Garde des Consuls and of its successor the Imperial Guard. He accompanied the army during a number of campaigns, during which he studied and incorporated elements from German military music. He died while accompanying the Grande Armée on its disastrous invasion of Russia
, during the retreat from Moscow
.
He composed over 200 popular marches
, as well as a number of other pieces for various instruments, particularly duets
and quartets.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
oboist
Oboist
An oboist is a musician who plays the oboe or any oboe family instrument, including the cor anglais, oboe d'amore, shawm and oboe musette....
, 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....
ist, viol
Viol
The viol is any one of a family of bowed, fretted and stringed musical instruments developed in the mid-late 15th century and used primarily in the Renaissance and Baroque periods. The family is related to and descends primarily from the Renaissance vihuela, a plucked instrument that preceded the...
player, bandmaster
Bandmaster
A bandmaster is the leader and conductor of a band, usually a military band, brass band or a marching band.-British Armed Forces:In the British Armed Forces, a Bandmaster is always a Warrant Officer Class 1 . A commissioned officer who leads a band is known as the Director of Music...
, and composer
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...
.
Gebauer was born in La Fère
La Fère
La Fère is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in France.-Population:-References:*...
in Aisne
Aisne
Aisne is a department in the northern part of France named after the Aisne River.- History :Aisne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Île-de-France, Picardie, and Champagne.Most of the old...
. He became an oboist in the Royal Swiss Guard at the age of 14, as well as becoming expert at both the violin and viol. In 1791 he became oboist in the Garde Nationale, and in 1794 professor at 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...
, where he stayed until 1802. Thereafter he served as bandmaster of the Garde des Consuls and of its successor the Imperial Guard. He accompanied the army during a number of campaigns, during which he studied and incorporated elements from German military music. He died while accompanying the Grande Armée on its disastrous invasion of Russia
French invasion of Russia
The French invasion of Russia of 1812 was a turning point in the Napoleonic Wars. It reduced the French and allied invasion forces to a tiny fraction of their initial strength and triggered a major shift in European politics as it dramatically weakened French hegemony in Europe...
, during the retreat from Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
.
He composed over 200 popular marches
March (music)
A march, as a musical genre, is a piece of music with a strong regular rhythm which in origin was expressly written for marching to and most frequently performed by a military band. In mood, marches range from the moving death march in Wagner's Götterdämmerung to the brisk military marches of John...
, as well as a number of other pieces for various instruments, particularly duets
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
and quartets.