Paul Alexandre Camille Chevillard (14 October 1859 – 30 May 1923) was a French composer and conductor.

Biography

According to ''Musiciens français d'Aujourd'hui'', Camille Chevillard was the son of the famous cellist and composer , who taught at the Paris Conservatoire. He entered the Conservatoire in the piano class of

Georges Mathias Georges Amédée Saint-Clair Mathias (; 14 October 182614 October 1910) was a French composer, pianist and teacher. Alongside his teaching work, Georges Mathias was a very active concert pianist. Biography Mathias was born in Paris. He studied a ...

and graduated in 1880 with second prize. He never studied composition. Chevillard began composing chamber music in 1882: first a quintet for piano and strings, then a quartet, a trio and sonatas, which were performed in various concerts, notably at the

Société Nationale de Musique Groupe Lactalis S.A. (doing business as Lactalis) is a French multinational dairy products corporation, owned by the Besnier family and based in Laval, Mayenne, France. The company's former name was Besnier S.A. Lactalis is the largest dairy pr ...

. He became voice coach for the Concerts-Lamoureux(1887) and in this capacity he took part in the "heroic and legendary" Paris premiere of ''Lohengrin'' at the Eden-Théâtre in 1887. On 17 April 1888, he married Marguerite Victoire Lamoureux (1861-1941), a singing teacher and daughter of

Charles Lamoureux Charles Lamoureux (; 28 September 183421 December 1899) was a French conductor and violinist. Life He was born in Bordeaux, where his father owned a café. He studied the violin with Narcisse Girard at the Paris Conservatoire, taking a ''prem ...

. In 1889, together with Fritz Schneklud (the cellist in Gauguin's

The Cellist ''The Cellist'' is a one-act ballet about British cellist Jacqueline du Pré, choreographed by Cathy Marston, with the scenario devised by Marston and Edward Kemp. The music was written by Philip Feeney and incorporated scores du Pré was best ...

), , Lucien Capet and Monteux, he founded the 'Société de fondation Beethoven' and in 1890 was appointed second conductor of the Concerts-Lamoureux. These new functions gave him a taste for writing for the orchestra. His ''Ballade symphonique'' was first performed at the Concerts-Lamoureux on 23 February 1890. It was followed by the symphonic poem ''Le Chêne et le Roseau'' (8 March 1891), and the ''Fantaisie symphonique'' (21 October 1894). All three works are part of the Concerts-Lamoureux repertoire. The first performance of the "Trio Chevillard, Hayot, Salmon" (with Maurice Hayot, 1862-1945 and the cellist Joseph Salmon) took place in 1895. Finally, in 1897-1898, Chevillard regularly replaced Lamoureux, who had numerous engagements abroad. After the death of his father-in-law in 1899, he became the principal conductor of the Association des Concerts-Lamoureux. As a conductor, he turned to the German and Russian Romantic repertoire, but he also conducted the Lamoureux Orchestra in the first performances of '' Pelléas et Mélisande'' (1901) by

Gabriel Fauré Gabriel Urbain Fauré (12 May 1845 – 4 November 1924) was a French composer, organist, pianist and teacher. He was one of the foremost French composers of his generation, and his musical style influenced many 20th-century composers. ...

, the ''

Nocturnes A nocturne is a musical composition that is inspired by, or evocative of, the night. History The term ''nocturne'' (from French '' nocturne'' "of the night") was first applied to musical pieces in the 18th century, when it indicated an ensembl ...

'' (1900-1901) and especially '' La Mer'' (1905) by Claude Debussy and ''

La Valse ''La valse'', ''poème chorégraphique pour orchestre'' (a choreographic poem for orchestra), is a work written by Maurice Ravel between February 1919 and 1920; it was first performed on 12 December 1920 in Paris. It was conceived as a ballet bu ...

'' (1920) by

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 ...

. He promoted the music of

Albéric Magnard Lucien Denis Gabriel Albéric Magnard (; 9 June 1865 – 3 September 1914) was a French composer, somewhat influenced by César Franck and Vincent d'Indy. Magnard became a national hero in 1914 when he refused to surrender his property to German ...

. In 1903, Camille Chevillard was made a Knight of the Legion of Honour. Also in 1903, he was awarded the by the

Académie des beaux-arts The (; ) is a French learned society based in Paris. It is one of the five academies of the . The current president of the academy (2021) is Alain-Charles Perrot, a French architect. Background The academy was created in 1816 in Paris as a me ...

for his

chamber music Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of Musical instrument, instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a Great chamber, palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music ...

compositions Professor of Chamber Music at the Conservatoire from 1907, he also became musical director of the

Opéra de Paris The Paris Opera ( ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be kn ...

in 1914. There, in 1923, he premiered the ballet ''

Cydalise et le Chèvre-pied ''Cydalise et le chèvre-pied'' ("Cydalise and the goat-foot" or "Cydalise and the satyr") is a two-act ballet originally choreographed by Léo Staats to a score by Gabriel Pierné. The libretto was written by Gaston Arman de Caillavet and Robert de ...

'' by his friend

Gabriel Pierné Henri Constant Gabriel Pierné (16 August 1863 – 17 July 1937) was a French composer, conductor, pianist and organist. Biography Gabriel Pierné was born in Metz. His family moved to Paris, after Metz and part of Lorraine were annexed to Germ ...

. He died in

Chatou Chatou () is a Communes of France, commune in the Yvelines Departments of France, department in the Île-de-France Regions of France, region in north-central France. Chatou is a part of the affluent suburbs of western Paris and is on the northwest ...

. His pupils included Suzanne Chaigneau, Clotilde Coulombe, Sophie Carmen Eckhardt-Gramatté, Yvonne Hubert, Eugeniusz Morawski, and

Robert Soetens Robert Soetens (19 July 189722 October 1997) was a French violinist, remembered particularly for premiering the Violin Concerto No. 2 of Sergei Prokofiev in 1935. Biography Robert Soetens was born in Montluçon, France in 1897, into a musical ...

. His wife Marguerite Chevillard is sometimes credited as ''Madame Camille Chevillard'' as translator into French of German song texts, e.g.

Felix Weingartner Paul Felix Weingartner, Edler von Münzberg (2 June 1863 – 7 May 1942) was an Austrian Conducting, conductor, composer and pianist. Life and career Weingartner was born in Zadar, Zara, Kingdom of Dalmatia, Dalmatia, Austrian Empire (now ...

's 3 Gedichte Op.17 published in 1894.

Selected works

;Stage * ''La Roussalka'', Incidental Music for the play by

Édouard Schuré Eduard (Édouard) Schuré (January 21, 1841 in Strasbourg – April 7, 1929 in Paris) was a French philosopher, poet, playwright, novelist, music critic, and publicist of esoteric literature. Biography Schuré was the son of a doctor in t ...

( Nouveau-Théâtre, le 23 mars 1903). ;Orchestral * ''Ballade symphonique'', Op. 6 (1889) * ''Le chêne et le roseau'' (The Oak and the Reed), Symphonic Poem after the fable by

Jean de La Fontaine Jean de La Fontaine (, ; ; 8 July 162113 April 1695) was a French Fable, fabulist and one of the most widely read French poets of the 17th century. He is known above all for his ''La Fontaine's Fables, Fables'', which provided a model for subs ...

, Op. 7 (published Paris: , 1900) * ''Fantaisie symphonique'', Op. 10, 1893 (Leipzig: Breitkopf & Hartel). ;Chamber music * Piano Quintet in E minor, Op. 1 (1882, Paris: Durand) * Piano Trio, Op. 3 (1884), Paris: Durand * ''Quatre pièces'' (4 Pieces) for viola (or violin) and piano, Op. 4 (1887). Paris: Enoch * Sonata for violin and piano, Op. 8, 1892 (published Paris: Durand, 1894). (on YouTube by Jean-Jacques et Alexandre Kantorow) * ''Quatre petites pièces'' (4 Little Pieces) for cello and piano, Op. 11 (1893). Paris: Durand * Sonata in B major for cello and piano, Op. 15 (1896). Paris: Durand. Given at Palazzetto Bru Zane, 15 October 2024 by Aurélien Pascal and Josquin Otal, the concert will be repeated at the Musée d'Orsay, Paris, on 29 April 2025. The programme also includes (''Lamento''),

Jean Huré Jean-Louis Charles Huré (17 September 1877 – 27 January 1930) was a French composer and organist. Though educated in music at a monastery in Angers, he was mostly self-taught. Life Born in Gien, Loiret, France, on 17 September 1877, Huré stu ...

(Sonate pour violoncelle et piano en fa dièse mineur), and

Charles Lecocq Alexandre Charles Lecocq (; 3 June 183224 October 1918) was a French composer, known for his opérettes and opéra comique, opéras comiques. He became the most prominent successor to Jacques Offenbach in this sphere, and enjoyed considerable su ...

(Deux Pièces pour violoncelle et piano) * String Quartet in D major, Op. 16 (1897–98). Paris: Durand * ''Allegro'' for horn and piano, Op. 18 (1905, Concours du Conservatoire). Paris. * ''Introduction et marche'' for viola and piano, Op. 22 (published 1905) ;Piano * ''Thème et variations'', Op. 5, Paris: Enoch. On YouTube by Cortot * ''Impromptu'' in D major, Op. 14, 1893 * ''Zacharie ( Michel-Ange''), Op. 19 * ''Étude chromatique'' Op. 9, 1893. Paris: Enoch * ''Morceau de lecture à vue'' for piano competition. * ''Feuille d'Album'', 1894, composed for

Pierre Lafitte Pierre Lafitte (c. 1770–1821) was a pirate in the Gulf of Mexico and smuggler in the early 19th century. He also ran a blacksmith shop in New Orleans, his legitimate business. Pierre was historically less well known than his younger brother, J ...

's journal ''Musica'' number 20. Paris: P. Lafitte, May 1904.Gallica

/ref> * ''Thème Varié'', 1905. Paris: Alphonse Leduc. (Also in ''Musiciens français d'aujourd'hui'' mentioned above) ;Vocal * ''L'Attente'' (Marie de Moriana), 1895, for mezzo-soprano or baritone and piano, Op. 12. Orchestrated. Paris, Durand. (This poem was also set to music by Cesare Galeotti) * ''Chemins d'Amour'' (), Op. 13, 1896. Orchestrated. Paris, Rouart-Lerolle. ;Transcriptions * Bach, ''Prelude and Fugue in E minor'' transcribed for piano. Paris: Durand *

Louis-Albert Bourgault-Ducoudray Louis-Albert Bourgault-Ducoudray (2 February 1840 – 4 July 1910) was a French Breton composer, pianist, and professor of music history/theory at the Conservatoire de Paris as well as a Prix de Rome laureate. He was born at Nantes and died at ...

: ''Rapsodie Cambodgienne'', reduction for piano 4 hands. Paris: Heugel. * Emmanuel Chabrier, ''España'', transcription for piano, Paris: Enna (on YouTube by Ciccolini, Alexandre Tharaud or by Jean Doyen) ; ''España'', reduction for two pianos 4 hands, Paris: Enoch (on YouTube). ''España'' (arranged for piano trio by Camille Chevillard and Olivier Kaspar) recorded by Trio Hoboken. * Haendel : ''Célèbre Menuet'', reduction for piano. Paris: Enoch. (Probably the Menuet from ''Suite in B-Flat Major'', HWV 434) * Rimsky-Korsakov : ''Sadko'', Symphonic Poem arranged for piano 4 handss. Paris: Enoch. * Richard Wagner, 'Scène du Venusberg' from '' Tannhaüser'' transcription for two pianos 8 hands. Paris: Durand. ''La Chevauchée des Valkyries'' (the Ride of the Valkyries), transcription for two pianos 8 hands. Mayence: Schott (on YouTube). 'Final scene' from ''Crépuscule des Dieux'' (Twilight of the Gods), transcription for two pianos 8 hands. Not published. ; Orchestrations * Schubert, 'Le Voyageur' ('Der Wanderer'). Not published. * Schubert, 'Le Sosie' ('Der Doppelgänger'). Not published. * Schumann, Op. 58, ''Esquisses''. Paris, Durand

Discography

* ''Sonate op. 8'' by

Jean-Jacques Kantorow Jean-Jacques Kantorow (born 3 October 1945) is a French violinist and conductor. His son is the pianist Alexandre Kantorow. Biography Kantorow was born in Cannes, France, into a family of Russian-Jewish origin. From the age of 13 he studied ...

, violin, and Alexandre Kantorow, piano. (''Sonates françaises'', CD NoMadMusic, 2014). * ''España'' (arranged for piano trio by Camille Chevillard and Olivier Kaspar) recorded by Trio Hoboken. * ''Thème et variations'', Op. 5, Cortot * ''España'', transcription for piano, by Ciccolini, Alexandre Tharaud or Jean Doyen.

References

External links

Biographical details
* 1859 births 1923 deaths Musicians from Paris Conservatoire de Paris alumni Academic staff of the Conservatoire de Paris French composers French male composers French conductors (music) French male conductors (music) Officers of the Legion of Honour Pupils of Georges Mathias {{france-conductor-stub