Henri Duparc

Henri Duparc

Source: Britannica

Born on 21 January 1848 in Paris, among Henri Duparc's first works were 'Six rêveries pour Piano' in 1863-65, printed but not published. As a severe judge of his own works, Duparc would destroy most of what he wrote, leaving behind fewer than forty compositions. He was a law student when he received instruction in piano and composition from César Franck. His Op 1 was a work of five pieces for piano called 'Feuilles volantes' ('Loose Leaves') which he dedicated to Franck circa 1869. His first surviving song collection, 'Cinq Melodies' Op 2, was composed in 1868, published circa 1869, the year a trip to Munich made a Wagner fan of him, though the two aren't alike. 'Cinq Melodies' included 'Soupir' as No.1 of five and 'Chanson Triste' ('Sad Song') in E flat major as No.4.

'Feuilles volantes' ('Loose Leaves')   Op 1   Piano piece by Henri Duparc

Published c 1869

Piano: Esther

IMDB

'Soupir' ('Sigh')   Op 2 No.1   D minor   Song by Henri Duparc

Composed c 1869

Libretto: Sully Prudhomme

Piano: Marc Durand   Baritone: Bruno Laplante

IMSLP   Text

'Chanson triste' ('Sad Song')   Op 2 No.4   E-flat major   Song by Henri Duparc

Composed 1868

Libretto: Henri Cazalis as Jean Lahor

Piano: Getacine Pegorim   Mezzo-soprano: Esther Verheye

Helen Abbott   IMSLP   Indiana University Press   Score   Text   Text   Text

'L'invitation au voyage'   C minor   Song by Henri Duparc

Composed c 1870

Libretto: Charles Baudelaire

Piano: Paula Bär-Giese   Soprano: Paula Bär-Giese

IMSLP   Text

'La Vague et la Cloche' ('The Wave and the Bell')  C minor   Song by Henri Duparc

Composed c 1871

Libretto: François Coppée

Piano: Maria Fuller   Baritone: Philippe Sly

IMSLP   Score   Text   Text

In 1871 Duparc assisted in the founding of the Société Nationale de Musique in Paris with Romain Bussine and Camille Saint-Saëns. He composed his symphonic poem, 'Lenore', in 1873 toward publishing in 1874, that set to the ballad by Gottfried August Bürger.

'Lenore'  C minor   Symphonic poem by Henri Duparc

Premiere 5 May 1875 at the Société Nationale de Musique in Paris

Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse   Michel Plasson

IMSLP   Wikipedia

In 1874 Duparc premiered his orchestral 'Poeme Nocturne' at the Société Nationale de Musique on 11 April, then later destroyed two of its three movements, leaving only its first, 'Aux Etoiles'. He later revised 'Aux Etoiles' for piano 4 hands in 1910, and for both orchestra and keyboard in 1911.

'Aux Etoiles' ('To the Stars')   Nocturne by Henri Duparc

Composed 1874   Revised 1911

Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse   Michel Plasson

IMSLP

'Aux Etoiles' ('To the Stars')   Nocturne by Henri Duparc

Composed 1874   Revised 1911

Piano: Phillip Sear

IMSLP

Duparc wrote 'Phidylé' in A flat major in 1882. He later revised 'Phidylé' for orchestra in 1891-92:

'Phidyle'   A-flat major   Song by Henri Duparc

Composed 1882   Revised for orchestra 1891-92

Libretto: Leconte de Lisle

Piano: William Vann   Baritone: Njabulo Madlala

IMSLP   Score   Text   Marianne Williams Tobias   Wikipedia

'La Vie Antérieure' ('The Past Life')  E-flat major   Song by Henri Duparc

Composed 1884

Libretto: Charles Baudelaire

Piano: Jacqueline Bonneau   Baritone: Gérard Souzay

IMSLP   Text   Georg Predota   Wikipedia

Excepting seven later orchestral revisions of his melodies, Duparc abruptly quit composing altogether in 1885, perhaps for psychological reasons combined with neurasthenia. He hung out with his family and painted until eventually becoming blind toward the end of his life. Transcribing organ works by J.S. Bach in 1903 and César Franck in 1908 probably didn't help.

In 1912 Duparc published 'Souvenirs de la Société Nationale' in the December 1912 issue of 'Revue de la Société Internationale de Musique' [Princeton]. In December of 1922 he published 'César Franck pendant le Siège de Paris' ('César Franck During the Siege of Paris') in the 'Revue Musicale'. Duparc spent most of the latter years of his life in La Tour-de-Peilz, Switzerland, before dying in Mont-de-Marsan, France, on 12 February 1933.

Sources & References for Henri Duparc:

Robert Cummings (All Music)

Aryeh Oron (Bach Cantatas)

VF History (notes)

Wikipedia English