Société Nationale de Musique
Encyclopedia
The Société Nationale de Musique was founded on February 25, 1871 to promote French music and to allow young composers to present their music in public. The motto was "Ars gallica".
It was founded by Romain Bussine
and Camille Saint-Saëns
, who shared the presidency, and early members included César Franck
, Ernest Guiraud
, Jules Massenet
, Jules Garcin
, Gabriel Fauré
, Alexis de Castillon
, Henri Duparc, Théodore Dubois
, and Paul Taffanel. It was conceived in reaction to the tendency in French music to favor vocal and operatic music over orchestral music, and to further the cause of French music in contrast to the Germanic tradition. "They were determined to unite in their efforts to spread the gospel of French music and to make known the works of living French composers. . . . According to their statutes . . . their intention was to act 'in brotherly unity, with an absolute forgetfulness of self'".
The first concert took place on November 17, 1871 and featured the Trio in B flat major by Franck, two melodies by Dubois, Five Pieces in Ancient Style by Castillon, a reduction of the Violin Concerto by Garcin, an Improvisation for tenor by Massenet, and the Caprice héroïque for two pianos by Saint-Saëns.
The concerts took place in the Salons Pleyel, the Salle Érard for orchestral concerts, and the Church of Saint-Gervais for works with organ. Although the society had limited means, it was able to hire first-rate performers such as Sarasate, Eugène Ysaÿe
, and Wanda Landowska
.
In the 1880s, the society first began accepting manuscripts by non-French composers. Ernest Chausson
served as secretary from 1883 until his death. Towards the end of that decade, it accepted a number of composers of the rising generation, among them Debussy and Ravel
.
In 1886, the society had a confrontational split over the issue of promoting foreign music, with the conservative Saint-Saëns facing off against Franck, Vincent d'Indy
, and others. Franck was elected president, and both Bussine and Saint-Saëns resigned. With the 1890 death of Franck, d'Indy became president. After several hostile incidents, Ravel left the society and founded a new society called the Société de Musique Indépendente. Competition between the two societies and lack of new manuscripts led to a reduction in the activity of the society until the 1930s, when the induction of new members such as Olivier Messiaen
breathed new life into it.
It was founded by Romain Bussine
Romain Bussine
Romain Bussine was a French poet, baritone, and voice teacher who lived during the 19th century.In 1871, together with Camille Saint-Saëns and Henri Duparc, he founded the Société Nationale de Musique as a forum for promoting contemporary French chamber and orchestral music...
and Camille Saint-Saëns
Camille Saint-Saëns
Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns was a French Late-Romantic composer, organist, conductor, and pianist. He is known especially for The Carnival of the Animals, Danse macabre, Samson and Delilah, Piano Concerto No. 2, Cello Concerto No. 1, Havanaise, Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, and his Symphony...
, who shared the presidency, and early members included 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....
, Ernest Guiraud
Ernest Guiraud
Ernest Guiraud was a French composer and music teacher born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is best known for writing the traditional orchestral recitatives used for Bizet's opera Carmen and for Offenbach's opera Les contes d'Hoffmann .- Biography :Guiraud began his schooling in Louisiana under the...
, Jules Massenet
Jules Massenet
Jules Émile Frédéric Massenet was a French composer best known for his operas. His compositions were very popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and he ranks as one of the greatest melodists of his era. Soon after his death, Massenet's style went out of fashion, and many of his operas...
, Jules Garcin
Jules Garcin
Jules Auguste, Garcin [Salomon] was an illustrious French violinist, conductor and composer of the 19th century.He was born in Bourges...
, Gabriel Fauré
Gabriel Fauré
Gabriel Urbain Fauré was a French composer, organist, pianist and teacher. He was one of the foremost French composers of his generation, and his musical style influenced many 20th century composers...
, Alexis de Castillon
Alexis de Castillon
Alexis de Castillon was a French composer of classical music....
, Henri Duparc, Théodore Dubois
Théodore Dubois
François-Clément Théodore Dubois was a French composer, organist and music teacher.-Biography:Théodore Dubois was born in Rosnay in Marne. He studied first under Louis Fanart and later at the Paris Conservatoire under Ambroise Thomas. He won the Prix de Rome in 1861...
, and Paul Taffanel. It was conceived in reaction to the tendency in French music to favor vocal and operatic music over orchestral music, and to further the cause of French music in contrast to the Germanic tradition. "They were determined to unite in their efforts to spread the gospel of French music and to make known the works of living French composers. . . . According to their statutes . . . their intention was to act 'in brotherly unity, with an absolute forgetfulness of self'".
The first concert took place on November 17, 1871 and featured the Trio in B flat major by Franck, two melodies by Dubois, Five Pieces in Ancient Style by Castillon, a reduction of the Violin Concerto by Garcin, an Improvisation for tenor by Massenet, and the Caprice héroïque for two pianos by Saint-Saëns.
The concerts took place in the Salons Pleyel, the Salle Érard for orchestral concerts, and the Church of Saint-Gervais for works with organ. Although the society had limited means, it was able to hire first-rate performers such as Sarasate, Eugène Ysaÿe
Eugène Ysaÿe
Eugène Ysaÿe was a Belgian violinist, composer and conductor born in Liège. He was regarded as "The King of the Violin", or, as Nathan Milstein put it, the "tzar"...
, and Wanda Landowska
Wanda Landowska
Wanda Landowska was a Polish harpsichordist whose performances, teaching, recordings and writings played a large role in reviving the popularity of the harpsichord in the early 20th century...
.
In the 1880s, the society first began accepting manuscripts by non-French composers. Ernest Chausson
Ernest Chausson
Amédée-Ernest Chausson was a French romantic composer who died just as his career was beginning to flourish.-Life:Ernest Chausson was born in Paris into a prosperous bourgeois family...
served as secretary from 1883 until his death. Towards the end of that decade, it accepted a number of composers of the rising generation, among them Debussy and Ravel
Maurice Ravel
Joseph-Maurice Ravel was a French composer known especially for his melodies, orchestral and instrumental textures and effects...
.
In 1886, the society had a confrontational split over the issue of promoting foreign music, with the conservative Saint-Saëns facing off against Franck, Vincent d'Indy
Vincent d'Indy
Vincent d'Indy was a French composer and teacher.-Life:Paul Marie Théodore Vincent d'Indy was born in Paris into an aristocratic family of royalist and Catholic persuasion. He had piano lessons from an early age from his paternal grandmother, who passed him on to Antoine François Marmontel and...
, and others. Franck was elected president, and both Bussine and Saint-Saëns resigned. With the 1890 death of Franck, d'Indy became president. After several hostile incidents, Ravel left the society and founded a new society called the Société de Musique Indépendente. Competition between the two societies and lack of new manuscripts led to a reduction in the activity of the society until the 1930s, when the induction of new members such as Olivier Messiaen
Olivier Messiaen
Olivier Messiaen was a French composer, organist and ornithologist, one of the major composers of the 20th century. His music is rhythmically complex ; harmonically and melodically it is based on modes of limited transposition, which he abstracted from his early compositions and improvisations...
breathed new life into it.
Sources
Vallas, Léon. César Franck. Tr. by Hubert J. Foss from La véritable histoire de César Franck (1949). London: Harap, 1951. Reprinted Westport CT: Greenwood Press, 1973.External links
- Société Nationale de Musique Official site from IRCAMIRCAMIRCAM is a European institute for science about music and sound and avant garde electro-acoustical art music. It is situated next to, and is organizationally linked with, the Centre Pompidou in Paris...
, Paris (English)