The Salle Gaveau, named after the French piano maker Gaveau, is a classical concert hall in Paris, located at 45-47

rue La Boétie The Rue La Boétie is a street in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, running from the Rue d'Astorg to the Avenue des Champs-Élysées. It is named in honour of Étienne de La Boétie (1530–1563), friend of moralist Michel de Montaigne. History F ...

, in the

8th arrondissement of Paris The 8th arrondissement of Paris (''VIIIe arrondissement'') is one of the 20 Arrondissements of Paris, arrondissements of the capital city of France. In spoken French, the arrondissement is colloquially referred to as ''le huitième'' (). The ar ...

. It is particularly intended for

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 ...

Construction

The plans for the hall were drawn up by Jacques Hermant in 1905, the year the land was acquired. The construction of the Gaveau building took place from 1906 to 1907. The vocation of this hall was chamber music from the beginning, and its seating capacity was a thousand, just as it is today. The hall was home to a large organ built in 1900 by the Cavaillé-Coll, Mutin-Cavaillé-Coll firm. This instrument with 39 stops (8 on the positive, 12 on the recitative, 12 on the grand organ and 7 on the pedal) was subsequently installed in 1957 in the commune of Saint-Saëns in Normandy. The hall is a concert venue renowned for its exceptional acoustics.

Beginnings

The hall opened its doors on 3 October 1907 for the concert of the Lehrergesangverein (Teachers' Choir of the city of Bremen with one hundred and forty performers). It immediately became a prestigious hall. Camille Saint-Saëns' concert in the Salle Gaveau udience and orchestra from the stage then other famous musicians gave concerts there from the first months after the opening. The concerts Lamoureux, conducted by Camille Chevillard,

Vincent d'Indy Paul Marie Théodore Vincent d'Indy (; 27 March 18512 December 1931) was a French composer and teacher. His influence as a teacher, in particular, was considerable. He was a co-founder of the Schola Cantorum de Paris and also taught at the Pa ...

and

André Messager André Charles Prosper Messager (; 30 December 1853 – 24 February 1929) was a French composer, organist, pianist and conductor. His compositions include eight ballets and thirty , opérettes and other stage works, among which his ballet (1 ...

, moved to Gaveau. On 5, 8 and 12 November 1907,

Alfred Cortot Alfred Denis Cortot ( , ; 26 September 187715 June 1962) was a French pianist, conductor, and teacher who was one of the most renowned classical musicians of the 20th century. A pianist of massive repertory, he was especially valued for his po ...

, Jacques Thibaud and

Pablo Casals Pau Casals i Defilló (Catalan: ; 29 December 187622 October 1973), known in English as Pablo Casals,Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...

. In the following years, the Salle Gaveau hosted

Eugène Ysaÿe Eugène-Auguste Ysaÿe (; 16 July 185812 May 1931) was a Belgian virtuoso violinist, composer, and conductor. He was regarded as "The King of the Violin", or, as Nathan Milstein put it, the "tsar". Early years Born in Liège, Ysaÿe began ...

(21 January 1908), Lazare-Lévy (27 January 1909),

Marguerite Long Marguerite Marie-Charlotte Long (13 November 1874 – 13 February 1966) was a French pianist, pedagogue, lecturer, and an ambassador of French music. Life Early life: 1874–1900 Marguerite Long was born to Pierre Long and Anne Marie Antoin ...

(11 December 1911), Georges Enesco (8 February 1912),

Fritz Kreisler Friedrich "Fritz" Kreisler (February 2, 1875 – January 29, 1962) was an Austrian-born American violinist and composer. One of the most noted violin masters of his day, he was known for his sweet tone and expressive phrasing, with marked por ...

(21 and 28 April 1912), Wilhelm Backhaus (15 May 1912),

Claude Debussy Achille Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionism in music, Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influe ...

(5 May 1917).Claude Debussy, martyrisé par un cancer
(in French) resmusica.com 2018

World Wars

During the First World War, the Salle Gaveau was used to give shows to soldiers and victims. However, it continued its original activity. During the

interwar period In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period, also known as the interbellum (), lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days) – from the end of World War I (WWI) to the beginning of World War II ( ...

, the hall hosted Charles Munch (28 October 1933),

Wanda Landowska Wanda Aleksandra Landowska (5 July 1879 – 16 August 1959) was a Polish harpsichordist and pianist whose performances, teaching, writings and especially her many recordings played a large role in reviving the popularity of the harpsichord in t ...

(7 November 1933),

Rudolf Serkin Rudolf Serkin (28 March 1903 – 8 May 1991) was a Bohemian-born Austrian-American pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Beethoven interpreters of the 20th century. Early life, childhood debut, and education Serkin was born in ...

(2 December 1933), and Yves Nat in 1934. The Lamoureux concerts continued to be held there. The same scenario occurred during the Second World War, when Gaveau was once again used as a gala venue, while hosting famous musicians such as Jacques Février,

Pierre Fournier Pierre Léon Marie Fournier (24 June 19068 January 1986) was a French cellist who was called the "aristocrat of cellists" on account of his elegant musicianship and majestic sound. Biography Pierre Fournier was born in Paris, the son of a F ...

, Samson François,

Paul Tortelier Paul Tortelier (21 March 1914 – 18 December 1990) was a French cellist and composer. After an outstanding student career at the Conservatoire de Paris he played in orchestras in France and the US before the Second World War. After the war he bec ...

, and Raymond Trouard. The concert season continued after the war. In 1955, for example, the hall welcomed Reine Flachot, Pierre Bernac,

Francis Poulenc Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc (; 7 January 189930 January 1963) was a French composer and pianist. His compositions include mélodie, songs, solo piano works, chamber music, choral pieces, operas, ballets, and orchestral concert music. Among th ...

, and Alexandre Lagoya.

Purchase by the Fournier couple

In 1963, Gaveau went bankrupt. This led to the sale of the Gaveau building to an insurance company, and it was destined to be destroyed for the construction of a car park. Chantal and Jean-Marie Fournier, a couple of passionate musicians, bought the hall in 1976. SalleGaveau01

In 1982, the house was listed in the inventory and then classified as a

Historic Monument A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, historical ...

in 1992. Chantal and Jean-Marie Fournier then sought to have it restored, the condition of the venue gradually declining. Subsidies were obtained, and the work was carried out by Alain-Charles Perrot the chief architect of the Monuments Historiques. The hall reopened on 8 January 2001. It was restored in a more sober way than before, i.e. by seeking to recover the colours and ornaments of 1907. In October 2024 it was announced that the concert hall had been bought for 8 million euros by Jean-Marc Dumontet, a businessman and arts promoter at the time owner of six venues in Paris (Bobino, le Théâtre Antoine, le Théâtre Libre, la Scène Libre, Le Grand Point-Virgule et Le Point-Virgule).

Works premiered at Salle Gaveau

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 ...

: '' Valses Nobles et Sentimentales'' for piano, in 1911 * Vierne: '' Troisième Symphonie'' (with

Marcel Dupré Marcel Jean-Jules Dupré (; 3 May 1886 – 30 May 1971) was a French organist, composer, and pedagogue. Early life and education Born in Rouen into a wealthy musical family, Marcel Dupré was a child prodigy. His father Aimable Albert Dupré ...

organ), in 1912 * Ravel: ''

Piano Trio A piano trio is a group of piano and two other instruments, usually a violin and a cello, or a piece of music written for such a group. It is one of the most common forms found in European classical music, classical chamber music. The term can also ...

'', in 1915 * Debussy: '' Sonate pour violon et piano'', with Gaston Poulet, in 1917 * Ravel: ''

Le Tombeau de Couperin ''Le Tombeau de Couperin'' (''The Tomb of Couperin'') is a suite (music), suite for solo piano by Maurice Ravel, composed between 1914 and 1917. The piece is in six movements, based on those of a traditional Baroque music, Baroque suite. Each ...

'', by Marguerite Long, 11 April 1919 *

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 ...

: ''Le Marchand de Sable qui passe'', stage music, in 1919 * Augustin Barié: ''Symphonie pour orgue'', by André Marchal, in 1922 * Georges Enescu: String Quartet No. 1, French premiere 18 October 1921 * Schönberg: '' Pierrot lunaire'', French premiere; conductor

Darius Milhaud Darius Milhaud (, ; 4 September 1892 – 22 June 1974) was a French composer, conductor, and teacher. He was a member of Les Six—also known as ''The Group of Six''—and one of the most prolific composers of the 20th century. His composition ...

, vocalist Marya Freund, organizer

Jean Wiéner Jean Wiener (or Wiéner) (19 March 1896, 14th arrondissement of Paris – 8 June 1982, Paris) was a French pianist and composer. Life Wiener was trained at the Conservatoire de Paris, where he studied alongside Darius Milhaud, and worked wit ...

, and translator Jacques Benoist-Méchin; 12 January 1922 * Schönberg: '' Herzgewächse'', world premiere; conductor Darius Milhaud, soprano Mathilde Veille-Lavallée or Renée Valnay (sources differ),

on celesta, and concert organizer Jean Wiéner on harmonium; 30 March 1922 *

Arthur Honegger Arthur Honegger (; 10 March 1892 – 27 November 1955) was a Swiss-French composer who was born in France and lived a large part of his life in Paris. Honegger was a member of Les Six. For Halbreich, '' Jeanne d'Arc au bûcher'' is "more even ...

: '' Roi David'', French premiere 15 March 1924 * Vierne: ''Pièces de Fantaisie'' by Marcel Dupré in 1926 *

Guy Ropartz Joseph Guy Marie Ropartz (; 15 June 1864 – 22 November 1955) was a French composer and conductor. His compositions included five symphonies, three violin sonatas, cello sonatas, six string quartets, a piano trio and string trio (both in A min ...

: ''Troisième Sonate pour violon et piano'', French premiere by Georges Enescu violin and

Marcel Ciampi Marcel Paul Maximin Ciampi (29 May 1891 – 2 September 1980) was a French pianist and teacher. He held the longest tenure in the history of the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris and also became head of piano classes at the ...

piano, 21 April 1928 * Enescu: '' Troisième Sonate pour violon et piano dans le caractère populaire roumain'', French premiere with Nicolae Caravia piano, 28 March 1927 * Stravinsky: '' Concerto pour deux pianos solos'', with the composer and his son Sviatoslav Soulima, 1935 *

: ''Telle Jour, telle Nuit'' song cycle based on poems by

Paul Éluard Paul Éluard (), born Eugène Émile Paul Grindel (; 14 December 1895 – 18 November 1952), was a French poet and one of the founders of the Surrealist movement. In 1916, he chose the name Paul Éluard, a matronymic borrowed from his maternal ...

, by Pierre Bernac, 3 February 1937 * Enescu: '' Troisième Sonate pour piano'', by

, 6 December 1938 * Messiaen: '' Vingt Regards sur l'enfant-Jésus'', by

Yvonne Loriod Yvonne Louise Georgette Loriod-Messiaen (; 20 January 1924 – 17 May 2010) was a French pianist, teacher, and composer, and the second wife of composer Olivier Messiaen. Her sister was the Ondes Martenot player Jeanne Loriod. Biography Loriod ...

piano, 26 March 1944 * Duruflé: ''

Requiem A Requiem (Latin: ''rest'') or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead () or Mass of the dead (), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the souls of the deceased, using a particular form of the Roman Missal. It is ...

'', by the

Orchestre National de France The Orchestre National de France (; ; abbr. ONF) is a French symphony orchestra based in Paris, founded in 1934. Placed under the administration of the French national radio (named Radio France since 1975), the ONF performs mainly in the Grand ...

directed by

Roger Désormière Roger Désormière () (13 September 1898 – 25 October 1963) was a French conducting, conductor. He was an enthusiastic champion of contemporary composers, but also conducted performances of early eighteenth century French music. Life and career ...

with Camille Maurane and

Hélène Bouvier Hélène Bouvier (June 20, 1905 in Paris – March 11, 1978 in Paris) was a French operatic mezzo-soprano, particularly associated with the French repertoire. She studied at the Paris Conservatory and made her debut in Nantes in the title rol ...

, in 1947 * Poulenc: '' Sonate pour violoncelle et piano'', in 1949 *

Pierre Schaeffer Pierre Henri Marie Schaeffer (English pronunciation: , ; 14 August 1910 – 19 August 1995) was a French composer, writer, broadcaster, engineer, musicologist, acoustician and founder of Groupe de Recherche de Musique Concrète (GRMC). His inno ...

: ''Étude aux Objets'', 30 June 1959 * Jacques Castérède: ''Sonate pour piano'', by

Françoise Thinat Françoise Thinat (born in 1934) in Gien (Loiret), is a French classical pianist. She presides over the Orléans International Piano Competition, which she founded in 1994 and teaches at the École normale de musique de Paris. Biography First ...

, in 1967 *

Laurent Petitgirard Laurent Petitgirard (born 10 June 1950, in Paris) is a French classical composer and conductor. Biography Laurent Petitgirard was born in Paris on 10 June 1950. He studied piano with his father Serge Petitgirard, a pupil of Alfred Cortot and ...

: ''Quintette avec piano'', in 1977 *

Rodion Shchedrin Rodion Konstantinovich Shchedrin ( rus, Родион Константинович Щедрин, , rədʲɪˈon kənstɐnʲˈtʲinəvʲɪtɕ ɕːɪˈdrʲin; born 16 December 1932) is a Soviet and Russian composer and pianist, winner of USSR St ...

: ''Bribes Russes'' for cello (commissioned by the international

Mstislav Rostropovitch Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich (27 March 192727 April 2007) was a Russian cellist and conductor. In addition to his interpretations and technique, he was well known for both inspiring and commissioning new works, which enlarged the cello re ...

competition, in 1990 * Bruno Mantovani: ''Appel d'Air'' for flute and piano (commissioned by the international Jean-Pierre Rampal competition, in 2001 *

Philippe Hersant Philippe Hersant (born 21 June 1948 in Rome) is a French composer. He studied at the Conservatoire de Paris. Selected works :: Hersant's works are largely published by Éditions Durand. ;Stage * ''Le Château des Carpathes (opera), Le Châtea ...

: ''Concerto pour harpe et orchestre'' (''Le Tombeau de Virgile'') by Isabelle Moretti, in 2006 * Thierry Pécou: ''Concerto pour piano et orchestre'' (''L'Oiseau Innumérable''), by

Alexandre Tharaud Alexandre Tharaud (born 9 December 1968) is a French pianist. He is active on the concert stage and has released a large and diverse discography. Life and career Born in Paris, Tharaud discovered the music scene through his mother who was a danc ...

, in 2006 * after the novel by

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, journalist, short story writer and Social criticism, social critic. He created some of literature's best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by ...

, in 2016

References

External links

{{Authority control 8th arrondissement of Paris Concert halls in France Buildings and structures in the 8th arrondissement of Paris Event venues established in 1905 1905 establishments in France Buildings and structures completed in 1905 Music venues in Paris