François-Clément Théodore Dubois (1837 – 1924) was
a French composer, organist, and music teacher. He was
born in Rosnay in Marne. He studied first under Louis
Fanart (the choirmaster at Reims Cathedral) and later
at the Paris Conservatoire under Ambroise Thomas. He
won the Prix de Rome in 1861. In 1868, he became
choirmaster at the Church of the Madeleine, and in 1871
took over from César Franck as choirmaster at the
Basilica of Sainte-Clotilde. In 1877, Dubois returned
to the Church of t...(+)
François-Clément Théodore Dubois (1837 – 1924) was
a French composer, organist, and music teacher. He was
born in Rosnay in Marne. He studied first under Louis
Fanart (the choirmaster at Reims Cathedral) and later
at the Paris Conservatoire under Ambroise Thomas. He
won the Prix de Rome in 1861. In 1868, he became
choirmaster at the Church of the Madeleine, and in 1871
took over from César Franck as choirmaster at the
Basilica of Sainte-Clotilde. In 1877, Dubois returned
to the Church of the Madeleine, succeeding Camille
Saint-Saëns as organist there. From 1871 he taught at
the Paris Conservatoire, where his pupils included
Pierre de Bréville, Guillaume Couture, Gabrielle
Ferrari, Gustave Doret, Paul Dukas, Achille Fortier,
Xavier Leroux, Albéric Magnard, Édouard Risler, Guy
Ropartz, Spyridon Samaras, and Florent Schmitt.
Dubois in 1905
Dubois was director of the Conservatoire from 1896
(succeeding Thomas on the latter's death) to 1905,
continuing his predecessor's intransigently
conservative regime. The music of Auber, Halévy and
especially Meyerbeer was regarded as the correct model
for students, and old French music such as that of
Rameau and modern music, including that of Wagner were
kept rigorously out of the curriculum. Dubois was
unremittingly hostile to Maurice Ravel who, when a
Conservatoire student, did not conform to the faculty's
anti-modernism, and in 1902 Dubois unavailingly forbade
Conservatoire students to attend performances of
Debussy's ground-breaking new opera, Pelléas et
Mélisande. In June 1905 he was forced to bring his
planned retirement forward after a public scandal
caused by the faculty's blatant attempt to stop Ravel
winning the Prix de Rome. Gabriel Fauré was appointed
to succeed Dubois as director, with a brief from the
French government to modernise the institution.
Although he wrote many religious works, Dubois had
considerable hopes for a successful career in opera.
His fascination with Near-Eastern subjects led to the
composition to his first staged work, La guzla de
l'émir, and his first four-act opera, Aben-Hamet,
which broke no new ground. His other large-scale opera,
Xavière, is a wildly dramatic tale set in the rural
Auvergne. The story revolves around a widowed mother
who plots to kill her daughter, Xavière, with the help
of her fiancé's father to gain the daughter's
inheritance. However, Xavière survives the attack with
the help of a priest, and the opera finishes with a
conventional happy ending.
The music of Dubois also includes ballets, oratorios
and three symphonies. His best known work is the
oratorio Les sept paroles du Christ ("The Seven Last
Words of Christ" [1867]), which continues to be given
an occasional airing; his Toccata in G (1889), for the
organ, is a recital staple, by no means solely in
France. The rest of his large output has almost
entirely disappeared from view. He has had a more
lasting influence in teaching, with his theoretical
works Traité de contrepoint et de fugue (on
counterpoint and fugue) and Traité d'harmonie
théorique et pratique (on harmony) still being
sometimes used today.
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Th%C3%A9odore_Dubois)
Although originally written for Organ, I created this
Interpretation of the "Prélude" from 7 Pieces for
Organ (No. 1) for String Quartet (2 Violins, Viola &
Cello).
