View source for Ernest Chausson

{{short description|French composer (1855–1899)}}
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[[Image:A-Ernest Chausson 1.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Ernest Chausson, [[cabinet card]] photo by P. Frois, Biarritz (France), ca. 1885, Bibliothèque nationale de France]]
'''Amédée-Ernest Chausson''' ({{IPA|fr|ʃosɔ̃|lang}}; 20 January 1855 – 10 June 1899) was a French [[Romantic music|Romantic]] [[composer]].

==Life==
Born in Paris into an affluent [[Bourgeoisie|bourgeois]] family, Chausson was the sole surviving child of a building contractor who made his fortune assisting [[Baron Haussmann]] in the redevelopment of Paris in the 1850s. To please his father, Chausson studied law and was appointed a barrister for the Court of Appeals, but had little or no interest in the profession. He frequented the [[Salon (gathering)|Paris salons]], where he met celebrities such as [[Henri Fantin-Latour]], [[Odilon Redon]], and [[Vincent d'Indy]]. Before deciding on a musical career, he dabbled in writing and drawing.
[[File:Debussy 1893.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Chausson page-turning for Debussy, Luzancy, 1893]]

In 1879, at the age of 24, he began attending the composition classes of [[Jules Massenet]] at the [[Conservatoire de Paris|Paris Conservatoire]]; Massenet came to regard him as "an exceptional person and a true artist". He had already composed some piano pieces and songs. Nevertheless, the earliest manuscripts that have been preserved are those corrected by Massenet. At the Conservatoire, Chausson also studied with [[César Franck]], with whom he formed a close friendship that lasted until Franck's death in 1890. Chausson interrupted his studies in 1881 after a failed attempt to win the [[Prix de Rome]].<ref>[http://www.laphil.com/philpedia/music/piano-trio-g-minor-op-3-ernest-chausson laphil.com: Piano Trio in G minor, Op. 3] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129160209/http://www.laphil.com/philpedia/music/piano-trio-g-minor-op-3-ernest-chausson |date=2014-11-29 }}</ref>

During 1882 and 1883, Chausson, who enjoyed travel, visited [[Bayreuth Festspielhaus|Bayreuth]] to hear the operas of [[Richard Wagner]]. On the first of these journeys, he went with d'Indy for the premiere of Wagner's ''[[Parsifal]]'', and on the second trip he went with his new spouse, Jeanne Escudier (1862–1936), with whom he was to have five children.

From 1886 until his death in 1899, Chausson was secretary of the [[Société Nationale de Musique]]. In his own home (22 Boulevard de Courcelles, near [[Parc Monceau]]), he received artists, including the composers [[Henri Duparc (composer)|Henri Duparc]], [[Gabriel Fauré]], [[Claude Debussy]], and [[Isaac Albéniz]]; poet [[Stéphane Mallarmé]]; Russian novelist [[Ivan Turgenev]]; and Impressionist painter [[Claude Monet]]. Chausson also assembled a collection of paintings.

==Death==
[[image:Chausson ernest.jpg|thumb|200px|Chausson's tomb, [[Père Lachaise Cemetery]], Paris]]
When 44 years old, Chausson died while staying at one of his country retreats, the Château de Moussets, in [[Limay, Yvelines]]. Riding his bicycle downhill, Chausson hit a brick wall and died instantly. The exact circumstances remain unclear; although probably an accident, there has been the suggestion of suicide, as Chausson was prone to depression. This suicide theory was propounded by Debussy's biographer [[Edward Lockspeiser]],<ref>Edward Lockspeiser, ''Debussy: His Life and Mind'', vol. 1 (London: Cassell, 1965), p. 126.</ref> but has been rejected more recently by Chausson's own biographer Ralph Scott Grover.<ref>Ralph Scott Grover, ''Ernest Chausson: The Man and His Music'' (London: Athlone Press, 1980), p. 56; R. J. Stove, ''César Franck: His Life and Times'' (Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 2012), p. 306.</ref> When he was 20, Chausson jotted into his diary “I have the premonition that my life will be short. I’m far from complaining about it, but I should not want to die before having done something."<ref>Steven M. Whiting, Liner Notes for ''Concert in D major and Piano Trio in G minor'' by Ernest Chausson. Naxos 8.572468. 2010, one compact CD.</ref>

Chausson was buried in [[Père Lachaise Cemetery]] in Paris. His funeral was attended by figures of the arts, including Duparc, [[Gabriel Fauré]], [[Isaac Albéniz]], Redon, [[Edgar Degas]], [[Auguste Rodin]], [[Henri de Régnier]], [[Pierre Louÿs]] and [[Claude Debussy]]. While Chausson's brotherly relationship with Debussy had ended abruptly five years earlier, following his disapproval of Debussy's promiscuity,<ref>Edward Lockspeiser, ''Debussy: His Life and Mind'', vol. 1 (London: Cassell, 1965), pp. 40–47.</ref><ref name=Nichols>Nichols, R., ''The Life of Debussy'' (Cambridge University Press, 1998).</ref> Debussy never ceased to admire Chausson's music.

==Eponymy==
A small park, Square Ernest-Chausson, in the [[17th arrondissement of Paris]] is named in his honour.

==Music==
{{Further|List of compositions by Ernest Chausson}}

[[Image:A-Ernest Chausson.jpg|thumb|left|upright|200px|Ernest Chausson, photograph by Guy & Mockel, Paris, ca. 1897, Bibliothèque nationale de France.]]
The creative work of Chausson is commonly divided into three periods. In the first, his output was stylistically dominated by the influence of Massenet. The second period, dating from 1886, is marked by a more dramatic character, deriving partly from Chausson's contacts with the artistic milieux in which he moved. From his father's death in 1894 dates the beginning of his third period, during which he was especially influenced by his reading of the symbolist poets and Russian literature, particularly [[Ivan Turgenev|Turgenev]], [[Fyodor Dostoyevsky|Dostoyevsky]], and [[Leo Tolstoy|Tolstoy]].

Chausson's work is individual, but it does reflect some technical influences of both Wagner and his other musical hero, Franck. Stylistic traces not only of Massenet but also of [[Johannes Brahms|Brahms]] can be detected sometimes. In general, Chausson's compositional idiom bridges the gap between the ripe Romanticism of Massenet and Franck and the more introverted Impressionism of Debussy.

Several delicate songs came from Chausson's pen. He completed one opera, ''[[Le roi Arthus]]'' (''King Arthur''). His orchestral output was small, but significant. It includes the symphonic poem ''[[Viviane (Chausson)|Viviane]]''; the [[Symphony in B-flat (Chausson)|Symphony in B-flat]], his sole symphony; [[Poème (Chausson)|''Poème'' for violin and orchestra]], an important piece in the violin repertoire; and the dramatic song-cycle ''[[Poème de l'amour et de la mer]]''.

Chausson is believed to be the first composer to use the [[celesta]]. He employed that instrument in December 1888 in his [[incidental music]], written for a small orchestra, for ''La Tempête'', a French translation by [[Maurice Bouchor]] of [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]]'s ''[[The Tempest]]''.<ref>Blades, James and Holland, James, "Celesta"; in: Gallois, Jean, "Chausson, Ernest: Works", [http://www.grovemusic.com Grove Music Online] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516041031/http://www.grovemusic.com/ |date=2008-05-16 }} (accessed 8 April 2006) (subscription required). Note: The first major composer to use the celesta in a work for full [[orchestra|symphony orchestra]] was [[Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky|Pyotr Tchaikovsky]]. He first used it in his [[symphonic poem]] ''[[The Voyevoda (symphonic ballad)|The Voyevoda]]'' in 1891, and the following year in his [[ballet]] ''[[The Nutcracker]]'', most notably in the "Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy".</ref>

Not at all prolific, Chausson left behind only 39 opus-numbered pieces.

<blockquote>"There are moments when I feel myself driven by a kind of feverish instinct, as if I had the presentiment of being unable to attain my goal, or of attaining it too late."  <small>Ernest Chausson</small>
</blockquote>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* Charles Oulmont (), ''Musique de l'amour. I. Ernest Chausson et "la bande à Franck"'' (Paris: Desclée de Brouwer & Cie., 1935).
* Jean Gallois, ''Ernest Chausson'' (Paris: Fayard, 1994).
* {{cite journal |last=Le Doussal |first=Florence |title=Maurice Denis et Ernest Chausson: Deux âmes fraternelles éprises d'absolu |journal=Music in Art: International Journal for Music Iconography |volume=25 |issue=1–2 |date=2000 |pages=103–114 |issn=1522-7464 }}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
*{{IMSLP|id=Chausson, Ernest|cname=Ernest Chausson}}
*{{ChoralWiki}}
*[https://musescore.com/openscore-lieder-corpus/sets?order=title&text=chausson Free digital scores by Ernest Chausson] in the [https://musescore.com/openscore-lieder-corpus/sets OpenScore Lieder Corpus]
*[http://hdl.handle.net/1802/2846 ''Hymne védique'' Chorus accompanied by orchestra, op. 9] Vocal Score (Paris: Hamelle, 1886) From Sibley Music Library Digital Scores Collection
*[http://hdl.handle.net/1802/3068 ''Mélodies pour chant et piano'', op. 2] (Paris: J. Hamelle, 1890) From Sibley Music Library Digital Scores Collection
*[http://hdl.handle.net/1802/3238 ''Les Vêpres du Commun des saint'', op. 31] (Paris: Editions de la Schola Cantorum, 1907) From Sibley Music Library Digital Scores Collection
*{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060831220648/http://www.jmc.co.il/musicfile.asp?mid=8 |date=August 31, 2006 |title=Recording of Piano Trio in G minor Op. 3 }}

{{Ernest Chausson}}
{{Romantic music}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chausson, Ernest}}
[[Category:1855 births]]
[[Category:1899 deaths]]
[[Category:19th-century French classical composers]]
[[Category:19th-century French male musicians]]
[[Category:Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery]]
[[Category:Composers for piano]]
[[Category:Cycling road incident deaths]]
[[Category:French opera composers]]
[[Category:French Romantic composers]]
[[Category:French male opera composers]]
[[Category:Composers from Paris]]
[[Category:Pupils of César Franck]]
[[Category:Road incident deaths in France]]