Société Nationale de Musique

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The Société Nationale de Musique is a French musical association.

It was founded on February 25, 1871 to perform primarily contemporary instrumental music by French composers in public. The establishment was a direct reaction to the lost Franco-Prussian War and the associated concern that cultural life in France, above all, must be protected from German influences. Therefore, the Société felt primarily committed to the " Ars gallica ", the Gallic art.

The Société was founded by Romain Bussine and Camille Saint-Saëns , who initially shared the presidency. Other members are César Franck , Ernest Guiraud , Jules Massenet , Jules Garcin , Gabriel Fauré , Alexis de Castillon , Henri Duparc , Théodore Dubois and Paul Taffanel .

The following selection of works by the founders was played at the first concert on November 17, 1871:

  • B flat major Trio (Franck),
  • Two "melodies" (Dubois),
  • Five pieces "in the old style" (Castillon),
  • Arrangement of his violin concerto (Garcin),
  • Improvisation for tenor (Massenet) and
  • Caprice héroïque for two pianos (Saint-Saëns).

The chamber concerts took place in the Salon Pleyel, orchestral works were performed in the Salle Érard and organ works in the church of Saint-Gervais .

Despite limited financial resources, the company made excellent soloists such as Pablo de Sarasate , Eugène Ysaÿe and Wanda Landowska .

Non-French composers could not propose their works until the 1880s.

In 1886 the conservative Saint-Saëns fell out with Franck, Vincent d'Indy and others. Franck, who was elected president, prevailed, so Bussine and Saint-Saëns resigned from the Société.

After César Franck's death in 1890, d'Indy became the new president. During this time, a number of compositions by some hitherto unknown talents were also presented, including Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel . After further disputes, Ravel also left the company to found the Société de Musique Indépendente . The competing societies recruited the composers from each other, so that concerts could ultimately be held less often.

Only Olivier Messiaen was able to revive the Société Nationale de Musique around 1930.

literature

  • [fr] Michael Duchesneau: L'Avant-Garde Musicale à Paris de 1871 à 1939. Liège 1997.
  • [fr] Danièle Pistone, Serge Gut : La musique de chambre en France. Paris 1985.