Théophile Édouard Laforge (6 March 1863 in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. ...

– 31 October 1918 in Paris) was a French

violist ; german: Bratsche , alt=Viola shown from the front and the side , image=Bratsche.jpg , caption= , background=string , hornbostel_sachs=321.322-71 , hornbostel_sachs_desc=Composite chordophone sounded by a bow , range= , related= *Violin family ...

and first professor of

viola ; german: Bratsche , alt=Viola shown from the front and the side , image=Bratsche.jpg , caption= , background=string , hornbostel_sachs=321.322-71 , hornbostel_sachs_desc=Composite chordophone sounded by a bow , range= , related= *Violin family ...

at the

Conservatoire de Paris The Conservatoire de Paris (), also known as 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 ...

. Laforge studied

violin The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...

at the Conservatoire de Paris with

Eugène Sauzay Charles Eugène Sauzay (14 July 1809 – 24 January 1901) was a French violinist and composer. Life Sauzay was born in Paris in 1809, and in 1823 he began studying at the Paris Conservatoire. During his time there, he was a pupil of the violini ...

and was awarded first prize in 1886. From 1883, he was a violinist at 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 b ...

and in 1887 became principal violist. Furthermore, from 1887 he was viola soloist with 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 philha ...

, now the

Orchestre de Paris The Orchestre de Paris () is a French orchestra based in Paris. The orchestra currently performs most of its concerts at the Philharmonie de Paris. History In 1967, following the dissolution of the Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Co ...

. In 1894, he was selected as the first professor of viola of the Conservatoire de Paris. Indeed, 99 years after the implementation of the violin and cello programs, a class entirely reserved for viola players was created. Laforge devoted himself to his post until his death after a short illness in 1918. During his career at the Conservatoire, Théophile Laforge initiated works for viola from composers of the time, also setting them as a requirement in partial fulfillment of a degree. More than a dozen works would be dedicated to him as well, of which the ''Concertpiece'' by

George Enescu George Enescu (; – 4 May 1955), known in France as Georges Enesco, was a Romanian composer, violinist, conductor and teacher. Regarded as one of the greatest musicians in Romanian history, Enescu is featured on the Romanian five lei. Biogr ...

is the most widely performed. In his 22 years of teaching, Laforge created a generation of new violists; notable students include

Maurice Vieux Maurice Edgard Vieux (14 April 1884 in Savy-Berlette near Valenciennes – 28 April 1951 in Paris) was a French violist whose teaching at the Conservatoire de Paris plays a key role in the history of the viola in France. Vieux received his 1st Pr ...

(who succeeded him at the Conservatoire),

Henri Casadesus Henri-Gustave Casadesus (30 September 1879, Paris – 31 May 1947, Paris) was a violist, viola d'amore player, composer, and music publisher. Early life Casadesus received his early musical instruction with Albert Lavignac and studied viola wi ...

, Louis Bailly, Paul-Louis Neuberth and

Pierre Monteux Pierre Benjamin Monteux (; 4 April 18751 July 1964) was a French (later American) conducting, conductor. After violin and viola studies, and a decade as an orchestral player and occasional conductor, he began to receive regular conducting enga ...

Dedications

Henri Büsser Paul Henri Büsser (16 January 1872 – 30 December 1973) was a French classical composer, organist, and conductor. Biography Büsser was born in Toulouse of partly German ancestry. He entered the Paris Conservatoire in 1889, where he studied ...

– ''Appassionato'' in C minor for viola and piano, Op. 34 (1910) * Eugène Cools – ''Poème'' in G minor for viola and orchestra, Op. 74 (1909) *

– ''Concertpiece'' for viola and piano (1906) * Hélène Fleury-Roy – ''Fantaisie'' for viola and piano, Op. 18 (c.1906) * Léon Honnoré – ''Morceau de Concert'' for viola and orchestra or piano, Op. 23 (1890) *

Désiré-Émile Inghelbrecht Désiré-Émile Inghelbrecht (17 September 188014 February 1965) was a French composer, conductor and writer. Life and career Inghelbrecht was born in Paris, the son of a violist. He studied at the Paris Conservatoire and made his debut as a ...

– ''Prélude et Saltarelle'' for viola and piano (1907) * René Jullien – ''Concertstück'' in C minor for viola and orchestra, Op. 19 (1912) *

Henri Marteau Henri Marteau (31 March 1874 – 3 October 1934) was a French violinist and composer, who obtained Swedish citizenship in 1915. Life and career Marteau was born in Reims. He was of German and French ancestry. His father, a Frenchman, was a well k ...

– ''Chaconne'' in C minor for viola and piano, Op. 8 (1905) *

– ''Arabesque'' in D major for viola and piano (1920) * Paul Rougnon – ''Concertino romantique'' for viola and piano, Op. 138 (1895)

References

* Laine, Frédéric (1998). "La classe d'alto de Théophile Laforge au Conservatoire", ''Bulletin 1998 de l'Association des Amis de l'Alto'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Laforge, Theophile 1863 births 1918 deaths Musicians from Paris French classical violists French musicians Academic staff of the Conservatoire de Paris Conservatoire de Paris alumni 19th-century classical musicians