Émile Louis Fortuné Pessard (29 May 1843 – 10 February 1917) was a French composer. Pessard was born and died in Paris. He studied at the

Conservatoire de Paris The Conservatoire de Paris (), or the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (; CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue Jean Ja ...

, where he won 1st prize in Harmony. In 1866 he won the Grand Prix de Rome with his

cantata A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian language, Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal music, vocal Musical composition, composition with an musical instrument, instrumental accompaniment, ty ...

''Dalila'' which was performed at the Paris Opera on 21 February 1867. From 1878 to 1880 he was inspector of singing at Paris Schools, in 1881 he became professor of Harmony at the Paris Conservatory. His students included

Maurice Ravel Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism in music, Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composer ...

, Jacques Ibert, William Molard, Albert Seitz and Justin Élie. After 1895 he was a critic and director. He composed many

comic opera Comic opera, sometimes known as light opera, is a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending and often including spoken dialogue. Forms of comic opera first developed in late 17th-century Italy. By the 1730s, a ne ...

s and operettas, as well as masses.

Works

*''Dalila'' (cantata, 1866)

Prix de Rome The Prix de Rome () or Grand Prix de Rome was a French scholarship for arts students, initially for painters and sculptors, that was established in 1663 during the reign of Louis XIV of France. Winners were awarded a bursary that allowed them t ...

.Annegret Fauser, Mark Everist ''Music, Theater, and Cultural Transfer: Paris, 1830-1914'' 2009 Page 136 "(Its final round required the contestants to compose a lyric scene, an unstaged mini-opera referred to as a cantata.) ... Théodore Dubois (1861), Charles Ferdinand Lenepveu (1865), Émile Pessard (1866), and Henri Maréchal ... *''La Cruche cassée'' (opéra comicque in 1 act, libretto by Hyppolite Lucas and Emile Abraham, premiered on 21 February 1870 at the Théâtre de l'Opéra-Comique in Paris) *''Don Quichotte'' (opera, premiered on 13 February 1874 at the Salle Érard in Paris) *''Le Char'' (opera, premiered on 18 January 1878 at the Théâtre de l'Opéra-Comique in Paris) *''Le Capitaine Fracasse'' (opera, premiered on 2 July 1878 at the Théâtre Lyrique in Paris) *''Tabarin'' (opera, premiered on 12 January 1885 at the Théâtre de l'Opéra in Paris) *''Tartarin sur les Alpes'' (comic opera, premiered on 17 November 1888 at the Théâtre de la Gaîté in Paris) *''Les Folies amoureuses'' (comic opera, premiered on 15 April 1891 at the Théâtre de l'Opéra-Comique in Paris); Work in three acts from Regnard, by André Lénéka and Emmanuel Matrat, with Lise Landouzy (1861-1943) (Agathe, soprano), Zoé Molé-Truffier (1855-1923) (Lisette, soprano), Ernest Carbonne (Eraste, ténor), Gabriel Soulacroix (Crispin, baryton), Lucien Fugère (Albert, basse), Edmond Clément (Clitandre, ténor) and Mr. Thierry (Ragotin, basse) ; Jules Danbé, conductor, and Henri Carré (1848-1925), choir director. *''Une Nuit de Noël'' (opera, premiered in 1893 at the

Ambigu Ambigu is an historical French vying game, composed of the characteristic elements of Whist, Bouillotte and Piquet. A Whist pack with the court cards removed is used, and from two to six persons may play. Each player is given an equal number ...

in Paris) *''Mam'zelle Carabin'' (comic opera, premiered on 3 November 1893 at the Bouffes-Parisiens, Salle Choiseul, in Paris) *''Le Muet'' (opera in 1 act, 1894) *''La Dame de trèfle'' (comic opera, premiered on 13 May 1898 at the Bouffes-Parisiens, Salle Choiseul, in Paris) *''L'Armée des vierges'' (comic opera in 3 acts, premiered on 15 October 1902 at the Bouffes-Parisiens, Salle Choiseul, in Paris) *''L'Epave'' (comic opera in 1 act, premiered on 17 February 1903 at the Bouffes-Parisiens, Salle Choiseul, in Paris)

Recordings

* ''Émile Pessard - Vingt-cinq pièces pour le piano''. Olivier Godin. XXI-21 Productions. 2011 * 2 songs on collection: ''L’invitation au voyage Mélodies from La belle époque'' : ''Le spectre de la rose'' (

Théophile Gautier Pierre Jules Théophile Gautier ( , ; 30 August 1811 – 23 October 1872) was a French poet, dramatist, novelist, journalist, and art and literary critic. While an ardent defender of Romanticism, Gautier's work is difficult to classify and rema ...

), ''Oh! quand je dors'' (

Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo, vicomte Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romanticism, Romantic author, poet, essayist, playwright, journalist, human rights activist and politician. His most famous works are the novels ''The Hunchbac ...

). John Mark Ainsley (tenor) Graham Johnson (pianist).

Hyperion Records Hyperion Records is a British classical music record label. It was independent until February 2023, when it was acquired by the Universal Music Group. Under Universal, Hyperion is one of the three main classical record labels, alongside Decca a ...

*''Dans la Forêt'', Op. 130 on album ''Chant d'Automne Forgotten Treasures Vol. 6'' Ulrich Hubner (horn) Kolner Akademie, Michael Alexander Willens *One song on collection: ''L'adieu de matin'', from ''Cinq Mélodies''; rec.

Richard Crooks Richard Alexander Crooks (June 26, 1900 – September 29, 1972) was an American tenor and a leading singer at the New York Metropolitan Opera. Biography Crooks was born the second son of Alexander and Elizabeth Crooks on June 26, 1900, in Tren ...

(tenor) on RCA Victor, 1940; on collection ''Richard Crooks in Songs and Ballads'' (Nimbus Records) *''Petite Messe brève'', op.62, for one or two voces and organ : Maîtrise d'Enfants Notre-Dame de Brive ; soloists : Virginie Verrez, Alice Imbert ; choir director : Christophe Loiseleur des Longchamps. Recorded in Gramat (Lot), with Junck organ. June 2004. Studio création n°200402.

External links

Sources

*''The Biographical Dictionary of Musicians,'' p. 332, 1940, Blue Ribbon Books, Inc. (Original (c) 1903)
Emile Pessard's Works
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pessard, Emile 1843 births 1917 deaths Composers from Paris Prix de Rome for composition Conservatoire de Paris alumni Academic staff of the Conservatoire de Paris French Romantic composers French opera composers French male opera composers Officers of the Legion of Honour Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery