Philippe Gaubert (5 July 1879 – 8 July 1941) was a French musician who was a distinguished performer on the

flute The flute is a member of a family of musical instruments in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, producing sound with a vibrating column of air. Flutes produce sound when the player's air flows across an opening. In th ...

. He was a respected

conductor Conductor or conduction may refer to: Biology and medicine * Bone conduction, the conduction of sound to the inner ear * Conduction aphasia, a language disorder Mathematics * Conductor (ring theory) * Conductor of an abelian variety * Cond ...

and a

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

, primarily for the flute.Edward Blakeman. 'Gaubert, Philippe' in ''Grove Music Online'' (2001)

Biography

Gaubert – commonly referred to as Gauberto – was born in

Cahors Cahors (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the western part of Southern France. It is the smallest prefecture among the 13 departments that constitute the Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie Region. The capital and main city of t ...

but moved to Paris with his parents when he was six. His mother, who worked as a housekeeper, occasionally cleaned the apartment of

Paul Taffanel Claude-Paul Taffanel (16 September 1844 – 22 November 1908) was a French flautist, conductor and instructor, regarded as the founder of the French Flute School that dominated much of flute composition and performance during the mid-20th century. ...

, who began teaching Philippe the flute. Taffanel was Professor of Flute at the Paris Conservatoire, and Gaubert began studying there in 1893, aged 13.'Philippe Gaubert (1879-1941), Chamber Music'
at ''MusicWeb International'' He became one of the most prominent French musicians between the two World Wars. After a prominent career as a

flautist The flute is a member of a family of musical instruments in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, producing sound with a vibrating column of air. Flutes produce sound when the player's air flows across an opening. In th ...

with the

Paris Opéra 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 ...

, he was appointed in 1919, at the age of forty, to three positions that placed him at the very centre of French musical life: * Professor of flute in 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 ...

(teacher of

Marcel Moyse Marcel Moyse ( ɔiz May 17, 1889, in St. Amour, France – November 1, 1984, in Brattleboro, Vermont, United States) was a French flautist. Moyse studied at the Paris Conservatory and was a student of Philippe Gaubert, Adolphe Hennebains, and ...

) * Principal conductor of the Paris Opéra * Principal conductor of the

Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire The Orchestre de la Société des concerts du Conservatoire () was a symphony orchestra established in Paris in 1828. It gave its first concert on 9 March 1828 with music by Beethoven, Rossini, Meifreid, Rode and Cherubini. Administered by the phi ...

Biography, Naxos Records
/ref> In 1907, he participated in the first performance of Maurice Ravel's ''Introduction and Allegro'' for harp, flute, clarinet and string quartet. Among his recordings as conductor, one that he made of César Franck's Symphony in D minor (with the Conservatoire forces) is particularly notable. In 1941, Gaubert died of a

stroke Stroke is a medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to a part of the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemor ...

in Paris.

Legacy

* Gaubert's playing can be heard on a series of recordings for the French Gramophone Company in 1919. * His ''Méthode complète for flute'', a collaboration with Taffanel, was published in 1923. * Journalist Jean Bouzerand, Gaubert's friend, convinced the town of Cahors to create a public garden in Gaubert's honour near the river Lot in the late 1930s. * When Gaubert was still alive,

Albert Roussel Albert Charles Paul Marie Roussel (; 5 April 1869 – 23 August 1937) was a French composer. He spent seven years as a midshipman, turned to music as an adult, and became one of the most prominent French composers of the interwar period. His ...

dedicated the movement "Monsieur de la Péjaudie" in his piece '' Joueurs de flûte'', op. 27 for flute and piano to him.

Honours

Gaubert was appointed

Chevalier de la Legion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and civil. Currently consisting of five classes, it was o ...

in 1921.

Selected works

;Chamber music * ''3 Aquarelles'', for flute, cello and piano * ''Ballade'', for flute and piano * ''Ballade'' for viola and piano (1938) * ''Berceuse'', for flute and piano * ''Cantabile et scherzetto'', for cornet and piano (1909) * ''Concert in F'', for orchestra (1932) * ''Divertissement Grec'', for 2 flutes and harp * ''2 Esquisses'', for flute and piano * ''Fantaisie'', for clarinet & piano * ''Fantaisie'', for flute and piano * ''Gavotte en rondeau'' (after Lully's ''Les Ballets du roi''), for flute and piano * ''Les Chants de la mer'', for orchestra (1929) * ''Madrigal'', for flute and piano * ''Morceau symphonique'', for trombone and piano * ''Médailles antiques'', for flute, violin and piano * ''Nocturne et allegro scherzando'', for flute and piano * ''Pièce romantique'', for flute, cello, and piano * ''Romance'', for flute and piano (1905) * ''Romance'', for flute and piano (1908) * ''Sicilienne'', for flute and piano * Sonata for Flute and Piano, No. 1 * Sonata for Flute and Piano, No. 2 * Sonata for Flute and Piano, No. 3 * Sonatine, for flute and piano * Suite, for flute and piano * ''Sur l'eau'', for flute and piano * ''Symphony in F major'', for orchestra (1936) * ''Tarantelle'', for flute, oboe and piano ;Vocal * ''Soir paien'', for voice, flute and piano * ''Vocalise en forme de barcarolle'', for voice and piano

Media

References

External links

Brief biographical sketch
of Philippe Gaubert on the

Naxos Records Naxos comprises numerous companies, divisions, imprints, and labels specializing in classical music but also audiobooks and other genres. The premier label is Naxos Records, which focuses on classical music. Naxos Musical Group encompasses about ...

site
Société des concerts du Conservatoire
*

''Fantaisie'' for flute and piano
played by Alejandro Lombo (flute) and Jenny Chen (piano), November 2019 {{DEFAULTSORT:Gaubert, Philippe 1879 births 1941 deaths 20th-century French classical composers 20th-century French conductors (music) 20th-century French male musicians 20th-century French flautists Burials at Père Lachaise Cemetery Knights of the Legion of Honour Academic staff of the Conservatoire de Paris French ballet composers French classical flautists French male classical composers French male conductors (music) People from Cahors Prix de Rome for composition Occitan musicians Chief conductors of the Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire Pupils of Paul Taffanel