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An orchestral approach to the piano works of Gabriel Dupont: remembering and recording a forgotten musician. Ties, Bo Michael https://iro.uiowa.edu/view/delivery/01IOWA_INST/12730527950002771 Ties, B. M. (2018). An orchestral approach to the piano works of Gabriel Dupont (University of Iowa). https://doi.org/10.17077/etd.w3vufrqg Copyright © 2018 Bo Michael Ties 2020/04/18 17:01:11
AN ORCHESTRAL APPROACH TO THE PIANO WORKS OF GABRIEL DUPONT:
REMEMBERING AND RECORDING A FORGOTTEN MUSICIAN
by
Bo Michael Ties
A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the Doctor of Musical Arts
degree in Music in the
Graduate College of
The University of Iowa
May 2018
Thesis Supervisor: Professor Uriel TsachorCopyright by
BO MICHAEL TIES
2018
All Rights ReservedGraduate College
The University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa
CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL
____________________________
D.M.A. THESIS
_________________
This is to certify that the D.M.A thesis of
Bo Michael Ties
has been approved by the Examining Committee for
the thesis requirement for the Doctor of Musical Arts degree
in Music at the May 2018 graduation.
Thesis Committee: ____________________________________________
Uriel Tsachor, Thesis Supervisor
____________________________________________
Alan Huckleberry
____________________________________________
Réne Lecuona
____________________________________________
Rachel Joselson
____________________________________________
Trevor HarveyTo the friends of Gabriel Dupont
iiWhen the ultimate consecration will come to Dupont, no one knows as yet. But we, his
friends, look to this event with a tranquil certainty. And, after all, did not Bach himself,
whom Dupont adored, await his glory for almost a hundred years?
Maurice Dumesnil
Gabriel Dupont, Musician of Normandy
iiiACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
To Dr. Tsachor, I extend my deepest gratitude for every lesson about music and
life that you have taught me over the years. This project would not have been possible
without your guidance and support.
To James Edel, for overseeing the many hours of my recording sessions and
editing together a wonderful product.
To Alejandra Escobar for producing sessions of Les Heures dolentes.
Many thanks to Ronald Lau for producing sessions of La Maison dans les dunes,
Feuillets d’album, and Deux airs de ballet, and for the incredible job of editing the pieces
together.
A special thank you to my parents for investing in my musical future from a very
young age. I am so thankful for your continuous love, encouragement and support that
helped me finish with strength.
Finally, thank you to my family and friends for all of your support as I embarked
on this crazy journey known as graduate school. I could not have done it without you.
ivPUBLIC ABSTRACT
Throughout the history of music there have been numerous composers who were
well-known in their lifetimes yet faded from public performance and memory after their
deaths. Some were remembered many years later and became the most prominent
composers in western music. Others did not receive any such resurgence of interest.
Gabriel Dupont (1878-1914) was a rising star in French music when he passed
away at the age of 36. His operas, piano music and songs were widely known during his
life, but he was virtually forgotten by the end of the 20th century. Since around 2000,
there has been a growing interest into the life and music of Dupont. Dupont has become
more well-known to French audiences but less so to audiences elsewhere. This project
aims to change that and spread awareness of Dupont in the United States. The twenty-
four mature piano pieces by Dupont are significant contributions to French piano music
and deserve such a recognition.
This thesis is in two parts: 1) a studio recording of Dupont’s complete piano
music, including the world premiere of two sets of pieces he wrote in his youth, and 2) an
accompanying paper exploring the life and music of Dupont.
vTABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................... vii
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................1
CHAPTER 2 BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORICAL CONTEXT .....................................2
Biography ........................................................................................................................2
Context for piano works ..................................................................................................4
CHAPTER 3 MUSICAL LANGUAGE AND STYLE .................................................. 8
Stylistic complexity ......................................................................................................... 8
The melancholy of happiness ........................................................................................12
Cyclical elements ...........................................................................................................14
Contemporary repertoire ...............................................................................................23
CHAPTER 4 ORCHESTRAL INFLUENCE: ORCHESTRATIONS,
REDUCTIONS AND EDITIONS .................................................................................27
Orchestral basis for interpretation .................................................................................27
Orchestrations of Les Heures dolentes ..........................................................................28
Piano reductions ............................................................................................................30
CHAPTER 5 TRACK LISTING AND PROGRAM NOTES ......................................34
Track listing with DOIs .................................................................................................34
Program notes ................................................................................................................35
CHAPTER 6 REFLECTIONS ON THE RECORDING PROJECT AND
PREDICTION FOR FUTURE OUTCOMES ...............................................................42
Recording process ..........................................................................................................42
Future possibilities .........................................................................................................43
Conclusion .....................................................................................................................43
APPENDIX A CATALOGUE OF WORKS BY GABRIEL DUPONT ......................45
APPENDIX B ADDITIONAL EXAMPLES ................................................................47
REFERENCES ..............................................................................................................57
viLIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1. Nuit-blanche–Hallucinations, mm. 113-118 ......................................................11
Figure 2. Le soleil se joue dans les vagues, mm. 181-187.................................................11
Figure 3. Mélancolie du bonheur, mm. 49-51 ...................................................................12
Figure 4. Le soir tombe dans le chambre, mm. 28-33 .......................................................13
Figure 5. Mélancolie du bonheur, mm. 1-3 .......................................................................13
Figure 6. Poème for piano and string quartet, 2nd movement, mm. 49-53 .......................13
Figure 7. Épigraphe, mm. 1-5 ............................................................................................14
Figure 8. Du soleil au jardin, mm. 18-19 ..........................................................................14
Figure 9. Coquetteries, mm. 242-250 ................................................................................15
Figure 10. Nuit-blanche – Hallucinations, mm. 102-106 ..................................................15
Figure 11. Calme, mm. 17-22 ............................................................................................16
Figure 12. Épigraphe, mm. 9-16 ........................................................................................16
Figure 13. La mort rôde, mm. 62-68 .................................................................................17
Figure 14. Nuit-blanche–Hallucinations, mm. 21-28 ........................................................17
Figure 15. Calme, mm. 26-29 ............................................................................................17
Figure 16. Du soleil au jardin, mm 1-3 .............................................................................18
Figure 17. Des enfants jouent dans le jardin, mm. 57-60..................................................18
Figure 18. Après-midi de dimanche, mm. 48-51 ...............................................................19
Figure 19. Calme, mm. 1-4 ................................................................................................19
Figure 20. Calme, mm. 46-49 ............................................................................................19
Figure 21. Après-midi de dimanche, mm. 56-61 ...............................................................20
Figure 22. Des enfants jouent dans le jardin, mm. 1-3......................................................20
viiFigure 23. Dans les dunes par un clair matin, mm. 1-4 ....................................................20
Figure 24. Mélancolie du bonheur, mm. 1-3 .....................................................................21
Figure 25. Voiles sur l’eau, mm. 4-6 .................................................................................21
Figure 26. Houles, mm. 9-10 .............................................................................................21
Figure 27. Houles, mm. 33-34 ...........................................................................................22
Figure 28. Houles, mm. 41-44 ...........................................................................................22
Figure 29. Houles, mm. 141-146 .......................................................................................22
Figure 30. Houles, mm. 154-161 .......................................................................................23
Figure 31. La chanson du vent, mm. 176-181 ...................................................................24
Figure 32. Maurice Ravel, first movement of Sonatine, mm. 1-5 .....................................24
Figure 33. La chanson du vent, mm. 106-114 ...................................................................25
Figure 34. Claude Debussy, La soirée dans Grenade, mm. 113-118 ................................25
Figure 35. Des enfants jouent dans le jardin, mm. 40-51..................................................26
Figure 36. Claude Debussy, Jardins sous la pluie, mm. 133-138 .....................................26
Figure 37. La Glu, Act II, mm. 152-155 ............................................................................31
Figure 38. Calme, mm. 42-45 ............................................................................................31
Figure 39. Antar, Act III, mm. 665-669 .............................................................................32
Figure 40. Houles, mm. 122-128 .......................................................................................32
Figure B1. Aria from Deux airs de ballet, mm. 1-7 ..........................................................47
Figure B2. Valse from Feuillets d’album, mm. 1-34 ........................................................48
Figure B3. Berceuse from Feuillets d’album, mm. 1-17 ...................................................49
Figure B4. Recitative section in Voiles sur l’eau mm. 48-60, found in the scan from
the French national library .................................................................................................50
Figure B5. IMSLP edition of Voiles sur l’eau mm. 48-60 ................................................52
viiiFigure B6. Orchestration of Nuit blanche – Hallucinations, mm. 1-3 ..............................53
Figure B7. Orchestration of La mort rôde, mm. 34-38......................................................54
Figure B8. Orchestration of Des enfants jouent dans le jardin, mm. 1-3 ..........................55
ixCHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
The beginning of the twentieth century marked a period of great change in French
piano music. Romanticism was traded for neoclassicism, impressionism and numerous
other styles. Though many composers were active in France at the beginning of the
twentieth century, most of the currently performed piano repertoire is largely from three
composers: Debussy, Ravel, and Fauré. Because of the changing musical atmosphere and
the chaos of two World Wars, some composers were unfortunately forgotten. Among
these forgotten composers is Gabriel Dupont, who left a small but significant contribution
to French piano music in his two later piano suites. These twenty-four imaginative and
atmospheric pieces present a formidable challenge to pianists and should be known more
broadly. As worthy additions to the limited amount of piano music still performed from
the same time, they also provide a broader view of the musical landscape of early 20th
century French music that so many have come to appreciate.
The aim of this project is to produce a high-quality recording of the piano music
of Gabriel Dupont. I am the first American pianist to have recorded Dupont’s mature
piano suites, Les Heures dolentes and La Maison dans les dunes, and the first pianist to
record his earlier piano works, Deux airs de ballet and Feuillets d’album. In addition to
premiering Dupont’s early works, it was my intention to record an orchestrally derived
interpretation of his later works. It is my hope that this project will serve as the basis for
creating more awareness of Dupont in the United States.
1CHAPTER 2 BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORICAL CONTEXT
Biography
Gabriel Édouard Xavier Dupont was born March 1st, 1878 in Caen, Normandy to
Achille and Delphine Dupont. His father was an organist at St. Pierre in Caen and
Gabriel’s first teacher. He had two older brothers; Maurice, a librarian, and Robert, a
painter. In 1893, he began auditing harmony classes of Antoine Taudou 1 and composition
classes of Jules Massenet at the Paris conservatory. In 1895, he was officially enrolled as
an organ student of Charles-Marie Widor2 and in 1897, he switched his focus to
composition with Widor. In 1901, Achille passed away and Widor seemingly assumed a
fatherly role in Dupont’s life. Dupont spent two years longer than average at the Paris
Conservatory because Widor admired him so much. 3 Dupont dedicated his Poème for
piano quintet to Widor.
As a student, Dupont competed several years in the Concours de Rome. In 1901,
he won Second Prix de Rome for his cantata, Myrrha, behind Andre Caplet, but ahead of
Maurice Ravel. His fame increased after he took part in the Sonzogno competition of
1904.4 Dupont submitted his verismo opera, La Cabrera, and was unanimously selected
1
Taudou (1846-1925) was a musician and composer who only taught one year at the conservatory.
Koechlin was one of his more famous students.
2
Widor (1844-1937) became organ professor at the Paris conservatory after Franck’s death in
1890. He then switched to teaching composition. He is most known for his own organ symphonies.
3
According to Louis Vierne’s unpublished journal as cited in Simon’s biography, pp. 70-71.
Vierne (1870-1937) was a fellow student of Widor and a good friend to Dupont. Vierne later became
principal organist at Notre-Dame where he famously died at the bench before finishing his final concert.
Dupont dedicated his Feuillets d’album to Vierne.
4
Edoardo Sonzogno (1836-1920) was an Italian publisher known for his contests for new one-act
operas. One of the most famous winners was Cavalleria rusticana by Pietro Mascagni, submitted in 1889
and premiered in 1890.
2as the winner of the 50,000-franc prize (out of one hundred forty-three scores).
Unfortunately, he was unable to attend the premiere as he suffered his first bout with the
malady that would eventually cause his death: tuberculosis.
He was plagued by tuberculosis and subsequently spent much of his adult life in
convalescent homes in Le Vésinet (west of Paris) and Arcachon (southwestern coast).
However, in just over a decade he was able to produce some highly sophisticated and
well-received music. After his success with Myrrha and La Cabrera, Dupont went on to
create three more operas, two piano suites, thirty songs, an orchestral poem and a piano
quintet. Dupont’s output is small but significant considering he composed most of his
works in one decade (1904-1914). A complete list of works can be found in Appendix A.
Dupont’s final masterpiece, Antar, was supposed to premiere in the fall of 1914.
Sensing his end, Dupont desperately wanted to hear Antar before he died. His health was
failing, there was drama with the cast which caused repeated delays, and war was
coming. Still, he remained optimistic. In a July meeting with Maurice Dumesnil 5 he said,
“But there simply cannot be war. How could it happen with our degree of civilization?
No. They’ll get it together in some way and peace will be preserved.” 6
Unfortunately, he would not get his wish. He died of complications from
tuberculosis on August 1st, 1914, the same day France mobilized for World War I. He
was only 36. Maurice Dumesnil recalled:
His death was dramatic, in keeping with his life. During the night, as he became
delirious, the rumbling of the artillery caissons rolling heavily on the highway
5
Dumesnil (1884-1974) was a pianist who studied with Debussy. He premiered Dupont’s later
piano works and advocated for the performance of his works for many years after Dupont’s death.
6
Maurice Dumesnil, "Gabriel Dupont, Musician of Normandy (1878–1914)," The Musical
Quarterly 30, no. 4 (October 1944): 446.
3made him sit up. “La Mère,” he called to his mother in a moment of lucidity, “do
you hear? The guns are passing by. War...War is here…” A few moments later he
breathed his last. 7
Seven years after Dupont’s death, Antar premiered to great success,8 yet he was
largely forgotten in the second half of the 20th century. His music has been regaining
some popularity in France thanks in part to a 2001 biography, a restaging of his operas
(which had not been staged since the early or mid-20th century),9 and several recordings
of his piano music, but he is scarcely known in the United States.
In scouring the few extant primary sources of those who knew Dupont intimately,
a profile emerges of a man who loved nature, life, and music. Dupont was well-liked, had
a jovial disposition and joie de vivre. Even as his life was overshadowed by serious
illness, he did not complain about his fate. He aimed to create the best art he could in the
time he had.
Context for piano works
As a student, Dupont published two works for piano: Deux airs de ballet (Two
Ballet Airs, 1895) and Feuillets d’album (Album Leaf, 1897). These early piano pieces
feature simple forms, textures, and motives and have never been recorded. One can see
the beginnings of Dupont’s compositional style and harmonic language, but the
considerable advancement made between these two works and his later works is
7
Ibid.
8
According to Frederick Martens in the May 28, 1921 edition of Musical America. As of May 12,
1921, Antar had taken in more money (203,407 francs) than any new opera in the same number of
performances since its premiere on March 28, 1921.
9
Antar was restaged in 2014. The last production had been in 1946. An Italian recording of La
Cabrera was released in 2015.
4astonishing (see Appendix B for examples). Upon further research it was discovered that
Dupont had unfortunately destroyed a number of compositions he deemed unworthy. 10
Between 1903 and 1905 Dupont composed his first large scale piano suite, Les
Heures dolentes (The dolent hours). Maurice Dumesnil premiered the suite on December
19, 1906, and offered this reflection on Les Heures dolentes:
The most authentic Dupont is revealed in these 14 compositions for piano: the
dreamer, the intimiste, the contemplator of the mighty spectacles of Nature. But
above all is the sick man and his recollections; in such weird and haunting pieces
such as “Nuit blanche – Hallucinations,” or “La mort rode,” one can hear within
oneself the mysterious echo of a distant anguish expressed with an accuracy and a
clarity that almost makes one shudder. 11
The suite is prefaced by an epigraph by French poet, Henri de Régnier:
...la voix mélancolique et basse
De quelqu’un n’est pas plus là-bas mais se souvient
Du pays monstrueux et morne d'où il vient.12
The writer Romain Rolland, who was also Dupont’s friend and neighbor at Le
Vésinet, called Les Heures dolentes "the melancholic, feverish and poetic novel of a sick
young artist” saying “the work has both a human interest and a great artistic charm.” 13 He
also said they contain “a certain Schumannian perfume that assures them a special place
in this new French music.”14
10
Louis Vierne’s unpublished journal as cited in Simon’s biography, p. 71. In his journal, Vierne
mentioned that Dupont had destroyed a string quartet, a trio, a piano and violin sonata, a piano and flute
sonata, and a piano and viola sonata.
11
Dumesnil, 443.
12
“The low and melancholy voice of someone who is no longer there, but who remembers the
monstrous and dreary country from which he comes.” My translation.
13
Romain Rolland, “Musique Nouvelle,” Le Mercure Musicale 2 no. 21-22 (November 15, 1906):
344. “le roman mélancolique, fiévreux et poétique, d’un jeune artiste malade…un intérêt humain et un
grand charme artistique.” My translation
14
Ibid., 345. “un certain parfum schumannien qui leur assure une place à part dans cette musique
française nouvelle.” My translation.
5These fourteen pieces present a wide variety of emotional and musical expression.
Though the title of the suite might suggest otherwise, several of the pieces contain joyful
outbursts marked animé et joyeux (animated and joyful). Dupont was gravely ill during
the composition of these pieces, which makes the existence of a suite full of so much
complexity all the more incredible. Of Les Heures dolentes, Robert Jardillier remarked:
It would be childish to seek cause and effect, and to automatically connect Les
Heures dolentes to an incurable tuberculosis. Reality never wants to be so simple,
especially artistic reality. The artist has so many ways of reacting according to
existence or against existence...But it remains certain that in Dupont, the disease
was undermining the vital forces, ruining the thirst for life he harbored within:
painful agony that the music evoked.15
Though he made a slight recovery, his health remained feeble until his death. He
could not bear the changing seasons and would spend summers at Le Vésinet and winters
in Arcachon. The Arcachon basin is known for its dunes, forests, and the open sea. It is
this scenery that seems to have inspired the composition of La Maison dans les dunes
(The House in the dunes), Dupont’s second and final piano suite. Composed between
1907 and 1909, the suite was dedicated to Maurice Dumesnil who premiered the work on
June 3, 1910. This suite bears an inscription from Nietzsche on the final page: Seul avec
le ciel clair et avec la mer libre (Alone with the clear sky and the open sea). Dumesnil
describes the contrast to Les Heures dolentes:
Here the shadow of death has lifted and the clear light of recovery has dawned. It
is a song of the sea uttered by a patient who once again smiles upon life as he
15
Robert Jardillier, “Hommage à Gabriel Dupont,” Revue de Bourgogne 12 (1924): 641. “Il serait
puéril de chercher cause et effet, et de rattacher automatiquement les Heures dolentes à une tuberculose
incurable. La réalité ne veut jamais être aussi simple, — la réalité artistique surtout. L'artiste a tant de
façons de réagir selon l'existence ou contre l'existence...Mais il reste certain que chez Dupont, la maladie
minait des forces vives, ruinait cette soif de vie qu'il portait en lui: douloureuse agonie que la musique
évoqua.” My translation.
6wanders through the dunes on a bright morning, watching the white sails, the
sunrays playing among the waves, the great splashes of blinding light... 16
The ten pieces in La Maison dans les dunes present some of Dupont’s most refined and
complex writing for piano.
After his death, Dupont was largely known for his operas and orchestral pieces,
yet it is the compositions with piano–his solo works, songs, and piano quintet–which
display some of the most intimate and personal moments. Gustave Samazeuilh 17
remembered:
As for his penetrating feeling of the nuances of everyday life, his personal power
to express in sober, just and striking features an atmosphere, a landscape of
mysterious presences, where to find better testimonies than in the two suites he
wrote for the piano, and which remain today among the most representative pages
of his musical individuality: Les Heures dolentes and La Maison dans les dunes,
written when Gabriel Dupont had already felt the first attacks of evil that was to
prevail... No musician has lost the memory of the always sensitive, sometimes
seizing manner, in which Dupont evokes his hopes, his anguishes, in contact with
the Nature that surrounds him, of Death lurking, of hallucinations that sometimes
haunt him, until the calm of the next healing finally inhabits his soul. La Maison
dans les dunes describes us with no less happiness, in the proper setting of the
Arcachon basin and the pines of the Southwest, the phases of a convalescence that
was to be alas! ephemeral. 18
16
Dumesnil, 443.
17
Samazeuilh (1877-1967) was a contemporary composer of Dupont. He studied with Chausson,
d’Indy and Dukas. His evocative Le chant de la mer (1920) for piano also contains extremely thick and
complex textures.
18
Gustave Samazeuilh, Musiciens De Mon Temps: Chroniques Et Souvenirs (Paris: La
Renaissance Du Livre, 1947), 224. “Quant à son sentiment pénétrant des nuances de la vie quotidienne, son
pouvoir personnel d’exprimer en traits sobres, justes et frappants une ambiance, un paysage, de
mystérieuses présences, où en trouver de meilleurs témoignages que dans les deux suites qu'il écrivit pour
le piano, et qui restent aujourd’hui parmi les pages les plus représentatives de son individualité musicale :
les Heures dolentes et la Maison dans les Dunes, écrites quand Gabriel Dupont avait déjà ressenti les
premières atteintes du mal qui devait l’emporter... Nul musicien n’a perdu le souvenir de la façon toujours
sensible, saisissante parfois, dont Dupont y évoque ses espoirs, ses angoisses, au contact de la Nature qui
l’entoure, de la Mort qui rôde, des hallucinations qui parfois le hantent, avant que le calme de la guérison
prochaine habite enfin son âme. La Maison dans les Dunes nous décrit avec non moins de bonheur, dans le
cadre adéquat du bassin d’Arcachon et des pins du Sud-Ouest, les phases d’une convalescence qui devait
être hélas ! éphémère.” My Translation.
7CHAPTER 3 MUSICAL LANGUAGE AND STYLE
Stylistic complexity
Dupont’s music is hard to define and lies stylistically between romanticism and
impressionism but also has strong ties to symbolism. 19 His early piano works are
neoclassical. This transitional compositional style can create challenges in interpreting
Dupont’s piano music. Edwin Evans suggested that Dupont belongs to neither Franck and
the formalists nor Debussy and the impressionists. 20 Having spent a great deal of time in
isolation with numerous emotions inspired by his illness, Dupont developed a unique
sound that became quite complex after few years of composition. Much of his music was
inspired by nature, yet there is also an undeniable grappling with death and mortality in
La mort rôde (Death is lurking) and Nuit blanche – Hallucinations (Sleepless night –
hallucinations), among others.
His music features lush harmonies reminiscent of Franck and Fauré, melodic
writing, emotional expression, extremes in dynamics (everything from pppp-ffff), cyclical
form, the idea of lointain, and colorful harmony. Hints of Spanish-sounding rhythms and
harmonies can be found in Des enfants jouent dans le jardin (Children are playing in the
garden), La chanson du vent (The song of the wind), and Houles (Swells). This exoticism
19
The Symbolist poets used symbolic language and references to nature to portray some inward
emotion. This is represented in a few lines of one of Paul Verlaine’s poems that Dupont set, La Pluie: “Il
pleure dans mon coeur / Comme il pleut sur la ville” (It rains in my heart like it rains on the town). Dupont
frequently set symbolist poetry in his mélodies. Though many of Dupont’s pieces have titles about nature, it
seems unclear whether Dupont is trying to portray nature or describe internal feelings inspired by nature, as
in Houles (Swells). Is he portraying the ‘swells’ from the sea, or waves of internal emotion regarding his
illness and mortality?
20
Edwin Evans, "French Music of To-Day," Proceedings of the Musical Association 36, no. 1
(1909): 68.
8is possibly influenced from music in his opera, La Cabrera, which was set in Spain, and
possibly by music of Debussy and Ravel containing similar figures.
His titles include common impressionistic ideas such as bells, wind, or the sea, but
the prominent juxtaposition of the moods sombre et douloureux (dark and painful),
joyeux et ensoleillé (joyful and sunny), and doux et calme (soft and calm) throughout his
music have drawn comparisons to Schumann. 21 Dumesnil describes:
Like [Schumann], Dupont was a poet, an intimiste. His music will always touch
the heart of those who love to linger by the fireside at twilight or to meditate in
the faint glow of the lamp. He excels in those utterances in subdued tones, in
those emotional and descriptive episodes that seem a direct emanation of the
fugitive moments ‘when the undefined rejoins preciseness’. He felt, as has no one
else, the latent music of waning afternoons, when a great calm descends and
evening creeps confidentially into the room. Yet he could be eloquent, dramatic,
dynamic, even heroic… 22
Much like Schumann, Dupont’s music calls for wide range of intense emotions
that can change quite rapidly. These emotions are often explicitly noted in the score:
sentiment douloureux (painful feeling), morne et houleux (bleak and stormy), avec une
infinie tendresse, (with an infinite tenderness), intimement (intimately), rude et sombre
(rough and dark), âprement accentué (bitterly accented), etc. He was good friends with
Louis Vierne, who wrote the following of Dupont’s productivity:
He was of a formidable fecundity and gave his music as a good fruit tree gives its
produce. It was indeed the most spontaneous being, the most delicious, the most
simple and the most generous; he madly loved his art and lived only for its sake;
not that he desired glory (this smoke so disappointing), but he had the soul of a
sybarite who delighted in trying perfection for the selfish personal pleasure: There
are things of his that were only heard by us both. “I like music as a mistress and I
am jealous when you look at her too closely” he told me ironically when I
reproached him for not doing anything to get it played. It took illness and
21
Rolland, 345.
22
Dumesnil, 441.
9embarrassment for him to decide to try his luck: in 1904 he obtained the
Sonzogno prize with two acts, La Cabrera.23
His harmonic language includes much of what one might expect from music of
the time: extended chords (particularly added 6th chords, major 7th, 9th and 11th chords),
use of the whole tone scale, parallel harmony, augmented chords, unusual modulations
and quartal harmonies.
Aside from the emotional depth and complexity, the music is also technically
difficult and texturally complicated. The engraving of Les Heures dolentes is difficult to
read in places because moving voices often overlap with held notes. The use of three
staves for much of La Maison greatly clarified the difference between held and moving
voices. The thick textures and numerous layers made the use of three staves ideal if not
necessary. Debussy composed his second set of Images (1907) in three staves but by then
he was pushing the boundaries of tonality and using comparably thin textures to match
his ethereal musical ideas. Ravel’s Gaspard de la nuit was composed in 1908. For all the
technical intricacy of the final movement, Scarbo, the textures are actually quite thin and
he only used three staves in the final few measures.
Dupont’s orchestral textures feature many long pedal tones, complex inner voices,
layers and counterpoint (figures 1-2) and cello/double bass-like melodies in the left hand
(figure 3).
23
As quoted in Simon’s biography p. 71: “Il était d’une fécondité formidable et donnait sa
musique comme un bon arbre à fruits donne ses produits. C'était bien l'être le plus spontané, le plus
délicieux, le plus simple et le plus généreux qui fût ; il aimait éperdument son art et ne vivait que pour lui ;
non qu’il désirât la gloire (cette fumée si décevante), mais il avait l'âme d’un sybarite qui se complaisait à
essayer la perfection pour l'égoïste plaisir personnel : il est des choses de lui qui ne furent entendues que par
nous deux. “J’aime la musique comme une maîtresse et je suis jaloux quand on la regarde de trop près”, me
disait-il avec ironie un jour où je lui reprochais de ne rien faire pour qu’on le joue. il fallut la maladie et la
gêne pour qu’il se décidât à tenter sa chance : il obtint en 1904 le prix Sonzogno avec deux actes, La
Cabrera.” My translation. A sybarite is essentially a hedonist.
10Figure 1. Nuit-blanche–Hallucinations, mm. 113-118.
Figure 2. Le soleil se joue dans les vagues, mm. 181-187.
11Figure 3. Mélancolie du bonheur, mm. 49-51.
The melancholy of happiness
One major theme to Dupont’s music is his Mélancolie du bonheur (melancholy of
happiness). This theme pervades his work, first entering in Les Heures dolentes,
continuing in La Maison dans les dunes and the Poème for piano and string quartet. The
French musicologist Emmanuel Sauvlet captures the depth of this meaning:
This theme of the "melancholy of happiness" (present in many works as a
characteristic theme) is the leitmotif of all the music and life of Dupont; a man
who loved life, who loved to contemplate the beauties of nature, but which Fate
would not allow to live. This is expressed by this "melancholy of happiness", the
happiness of living and the melancholy born of the awareness of the ephemeral
character of this life. Others would have expressed this tragedy by revolt...but in
Dupont, it is finally a serene resignation that prevails. Every happiness is charged
with melancholy, because it is destined to disappear one day; Such is the
biographical trajectory of Dupont, such is the message that his work bequeaths to
posterity.24
Figures 4-6 show the transformation of this mélancolie theme:
24
Emmanuel Sauvlet, “Quelques aspects de son esthétique,” SITE DES AMIS DE GABRIEL
DUPONT. Last modified November 15, 2009, https://sites.google.com/site/amisgdupont/quelques-aspects-
de-son-style-et-de-son-esthétique. “Ce thème de la "mélancolie du bonheur " (présent dans plusieurs
oeuvres sous la forme d'un thème caractéristique), est le leitmotiv de toute la musique et de toute la vie de
Dupont ; homme qui aimait la vie, aimait contempler les beautés de la nature, mais que le Destin ne voulut
pas laisser vivre. C'est ce qu'exprime cette "mélancolie du bonheur", le bonheur de vivre et la mélancolie
née de la prise de conscience du caractère éphémère de cette vie. D'autres auraient exprimé cette tragédie
par la révolte...mais chez Dupont, c'est finalement une sereine résignation qui l'emporte. Tout bonheur est
chargé de mélancolie, parce que voué à disparaître un jour ; telle est la trajectoire biographique de Dupont,
telle est le message que son œuvre lègue à la postérité.” My translation.
12Figure 4. Le soir tombe dans le chambre, mm. 28-33.
Figure 5. Mélancolie du bonheur, mm. 1-3.
Figure 6. Poème for piano and string quartet, 2nd movement, mm. 49-53.
13Cyclical elements
Cyclical elements are prominent in both suites. In Les Heures dolentes, the two
main themes presented in Épigraphe return throughout the suite: the ‘fate’ theme (my
designation) and the ‘painful’ theme. The ‘fate’ theme (figure 7) returns in Du soleil au
jardin (figure 8), Coquetteries (figure 9), Nuit blanche—Hallucinations (figure 10), and
Calme (figure 11).
Figure 7. Épigraphe, mm. 1-5.
Figure 8. Du soleil au jardin, mm. 18-19.
14Figure 9. Coquetteries, mm. 242-250.
Figure 10. Nuit-blanche – Hallucinations, mm. 102-106.
15Figure 11. Calme, mm. 17-22.
The ‘painful’ theme of Épigraphe (figure 12) returns in La mort rôde (figure 13),
Nuit blanche (figure 14), and Calme (figure 15).
Figure 12. Épigraphe, mm. 9-16.
16Figure 13. La mort rôde, mm. 62-68.
Figure 14. Nuit-blanche–Hallucinations, mm. 21-28.
Figure 15. Calme, mm. 26-29.
17The main theme of Du soleil au jardin (figure 16) returns in Des enfants jouent
dans le jardin (figure 17).
Figure 16. Du soleil au jardin, mm 1-3.
Figure 17. Des enfants jouent dans le jardin, mm. 57-60.
The bells from the climax of Après-midi de dimanche (figure 18) return at the
beginning and end of Calme (figures 19-20).
18Figure 18. Après-midi de dimanche, mm. 48-51.
Figure 19. Calme, mm. 1-4.
Figure 20. Calme, mm. 46-49.
Material after the climax of Après-midi de dimanche (figure 21) is transformed
into the opening of Des enfants jouent dans le jardin (figure 22).
19Figure 21. Après-midi de dimanche, mm. 56-61.
Figure 22. Des enfants jouent dans le jardin, mm. 1-3.
In La Maison dans les dunes, the ascending 5th is a prominent motive from which
several themes are developed. Dans les dunes par un clair matin (figure 23) and
Mélancolie du bonheur (figure 24) both open with an ascending 5th.
Figure 23. Dans les dunes par un clair matin, mm. 1-4.
20Figure 24. Mélancolie du bonheur, mm. 1-3.
The main motive from Voiles sur l’eau (figure 25) expands to a 5th and a
prominent theme in Houles (figure 26) features a descending 5th.
Figure 25. Voiles sur l’eau, mm. 4-6.
Figure 26. Houles, mm. 9-10.
Houles also features a minor-key variation of the Mélancolie theme (figure 27),
fragments from Voiles sur l’eau (figures 28-29) and closes with a final statement of the
‘mélancolie’ theme (figure 30).
21Figure 27. Houles, mm. 33-34.
Figure 28. Houles, mm. 41-44.
Figure 29. Houles, mm. 141-146.
22Figure 30. Houles, mm. 154-161.
Contemporary repertoire
Around the same time as Les Heures dolentes, Ravel was composing his Sonatine
(1903-1904), and Miroirs (1905). Debussy was composing Estampes (1903), L’isle
joyeuse (1904) and Images I (1905). La Maison dans les dunes (1907-1909) contains
much thicker textures than music composed by Debussy (Images II, 1907) and Ravel
(Gaspard de la nuit, 1908) of the same time. While comparisons between the composers
are less obvious in La Maison dans les dunes, similarities can be found in Les Heures
dolentes.
23La chanson du vent (figure 31) features some similarities in texture and volume to
the first movement of Ravel’s Sonatine (figure 32).
Figure 31. La chanson du vent, mm. 176-181.
Figure 32. Maurice Ravel, first movement of Sonatine, mm. 1-5.
24A passage in the middle of La chanson du vent (figure 33) is similar to the texture
and figuration from Debussy’s La soirée dans Grenade (figure 34).
Figure 33. La chanson du vent, mm. 106-114.
Figure 34. Claude Debussy, La soirée dans Grenade, mm. 113-118.
Likewise, Dupont quotes the popular children’s song, “Nous n’irons plus au bois”
(We will no longer go to the woods) in Des enfants jouent dans le jardin (figure 35) as
did Debussy in the earlier Jardins sous la pluie from Estampes (figure 36).
25Figure 35. Des enfants jouent dans le jardin, mm. 40-51.
Figure 36. Claude Debussy, Jardins sous la pluie, mm. 133-138.
As previously mentioned, Dupont’s piano music features orchestral textures. The
following chapter will examine these orchestral influences from piano reductions of his
operas and his orchestrations of Les Heures dolentes.
26CHAPTER 4 ORCHESTRAL INFLUENCE: ORCHESTRATIONS, REDUCTIONS
AND EDITIONS
Orchestral basis for interpretation
The six pianists who recorded Dupont’s music each took a unique approach.
Some opted for a more romantic approach, others for a more impressionistic approach.
The complexity of the textures and the transitional compositional styles allow for many
interpretations, which are well-represented in recent recordings. Learning these difficult
pieces is no small task and each pianist should be commended for their contributions to
the continued resurgence of interest in Dupont’s music.
The approach that I took was more orchestral in nature. This decision was based
on my study of the piano reductions of Dupont’s operas and his orchestrations of Les
Heures dolentes. This was largely accomplished by using the sostenuto pedal in La
Maison dans les dunes, creating defined layers by elevating the main thematic material
and minimizing the volume of inner voices. Additionally, I consulted the orchestrations
of the four pieces from Les Heures dolentes to inform layering, imitation of instruments,
articulation and pedal.
My recording of La Maison dans les dunes includes thirteen additional measures
of music in Voiles sur l’eau that were discovered in a scan of the score I received from
the French National Library. This appears to be a first printing and it is currently
unknown why the measures were deleted for the presumed second printing, the version
found on IMSLP.25 The IMSLP version contains more directions for rubato and includes
25
The traditional round fermata and a square one can be found in Dupont’s music. While the
difference in meaning is unclear based on the IMSLP edition, the answer is revealed in the presumed first
printing of La Maison in the recitative section in Voiles sur l’eau. The first square fermata to appear in the
piece contains a footnote saying “la signe a la signification d'un point d'orgue très court” (the sign indicates
27metronome markings. Some dynamics were altered but the only difference in content is
found in Voiles sur l’eau. François Kerdoncuff is the only pianist to have used this first
printing for the entire recording (including the additional measures). I used the IMSLP
version but included the additional measures in Voiles sur l’eau from the earlier printing
because they help explain motivic material in the piece and foreshadow what is to come
in the rest of the suite.
Orchestrations of Les Heures dolentes
In 1906, after hearing Dumesnil present the piano pieces in recital, Édouard
Colonne26 requested Dupont orchestrate some of his Heures dolentes. The work had been
gaining popularity and the orchestrated pieces were successful as well. The orchestrations
were premiered on October 21, 1906. Romain Rolland said the following:
We saw some traces of Debussysm. They are undeniable. But besides that, it is
not only impossible, but it would be unfortunate for an artist to voluntarily close
himself to the influence of what is great around him...The essential thing is that
they, too, bring something new: – if not a new technique, a new personality
(which is more necessary, and perhaps rarer). This is the case for Mr. Gabriel
Dupont. It is impossible not to recognize his personality in everything he writes.27
a very short pause). Without this footnote in the IMSLP edition, the square fermata shows up in Maison du
souvenir with no indication to its meaning. This seems to be evidence that the alternate edition was the first
printing. See Appendix B for the additional measures.
26
Colonne (1838-1910) was a conductor and violinist who championed the works of Berlioz and
his contemporaries. Over the years, the “Concerts Colonne” saw famous conductors like Tchaikovsky,
Debussy, Ravel, Mahler, Grieg and Prokofiev conduct their own music. The Colonne Orchestra still exists
today.
27
Rolland, 344. “On y a vu quelques traces de debussysme. Elles sont indéniables. Mais outre qu'il
n'est pas seulement impossible, mais qu'il serait fâcheux pour un artiste de se fermer volontairement à
l'influence de ce qu'il y a de grand autour de lui... L'essentiel est qu'ils apportent, eux aussi, quelque chose
de nouveau : — sinon une technique nouvelle, une personnalité nouvelle (ce qui est plus nécessaire encore,
et peut-être plus rare). C'est le cas pour M. Gabriel Dupont. Il est impossible de ne pas reconnaître sa
personnalité dans tout ce qu'il écrit.” My translation.
28Jean d’Udine28 didn’t particularly care for the music, but still recognized the artistic merit
of the pieces:
I am wrong not to discern the originality of the work and to find myself a little
embarrassed to render to Dupont what is Dupont’s. All in all, and without any
irony, Les Heures dolentes, is a very interesting work that Mr. Colonne has done
well to give us with so much care and emotion; In my opinion, they constitute one
of the best examples of an art that does not please me, but which delights those
more subtle than I. 29
The pieces were arranged for a rather large orchestra, including 3 flutes, (3rd flute
playing piccolo occasionally), 2 clarinets, 1 bass clarinet, 1 English horn, 3 bassoons, 1
sarrusophone,30 4 horns, 4 trumpets, 3 trombones, 1 tuba, bass drum, timpani, castanets,
cymbals, tambourine, triangle, snare, celesta, gong, 2 harps, 1st and 2nd violins (divisi up
to 6 parts each), violas, (divisi to 4 parts), cello and contrabass. Four excerpts were
orchestrated:
I. A. Épigraphe B. La mort rôde
II. Des enfants jouent dans le jardin
III. Nuit blanche – Hallucinations
The orchestrations were quite helpful in deciding how to interpret some of the
thickest textures, articulations and pedal choices. For example, Nuit blanche opens with
Jean d’Udine is the pseudonym of Albert Cozanet (1870-1938), the composer and musicologist
28
who wrote about art and music.
29
Jean d’Udine, “Les Grands Concerts,” Le Courrier Musical 2, no. 22 (November 15, 1906):
682. “Je suis dans mon tort de ne pas discerner l'originalité de l'oeuvre et de me trouver un peu embarrassé
pour rendre à Dupont ce qui est à Dupont. Tout compte fait, et sans ironie aucune, les Heures dolentes, sont
une oeuvre fort intéressante que M. Colonne a bien fait de nous donner avec tant de soin et d'émotion; elles
constituent à mes yeux l’un des meilleurs échantillons d’un art qui ne me plait guère mais qui ravit de plus
subtils que moi.” My translation.
30
The sarrusophone is a brass, conical bored double-reed woodwind instrument invented in the
mid-1800s to replace oboes and bassoons in outdoor band music. The contrabass Sarrusophone was the
most common and is often replaced by the contrabassoon in modern settings. The sound is said to be
similar to a contrabass saxophone or contrabassoon, quite reedy and slightly unrefined. One can hear
examples on YouTube. The sarrusophone is much smaller than the contrabass saxophone and the metal
construction of the instrument has more carrying power than a bassoon.
29repeated eighth notes with a slur and tenuto marking on every note. My initial instinct
was to mimic soft, pulsing strings with lots of pedal. However, the orchestration of these
notes (Appendix B6) is scored for two clarinets, bass clarinet, timpani and French horn.
This prompted me to create a different atmosphere by using less pedal and employing a
more focused attack into the notes. I had been unsure how to interpret the outbursts in La
mort rôde, because the two characters in the piece are wildly different. Seeing how the
left hand was scored for tuba, low strings, bassoon and timpani (Appendix B7) clarified
the sections in my imagination and interpretation leading to a strong and percussive
sound. For the cacophonous opening of Des enfants jouent dans le jardin, I was able to
imagine the bright sounds of brass and woodwinds; while the sharper, muted trumpet
answered the opening statement (Appendix B8). These orchestrations provided a unique
glimpse into Dupont’s aural imagination.
Piano reductions
The piano reductions of Dupont’s operas also proved valuable in making
interpretive decisions. Studying the piano reductions of his operas and listening to the
orchestrations revealed a more nuanced hierarchy of sound. Inner voices or layers were
often much softer than indicated by the reduction. For example, one dynamic marking
was listed; but if the melodic line was brass or winds, the busier inner voices presented in
strings were much softer, revealing distinct layers of sound. Much like the piano
reductions of his operas, a large portion of La Maison is notated in three staves to help
clarify the thick textures and numerous voices. Antar was the most helpful in hearing the
differences (the recording can be found on YouTube), but also because the music bears
many similarities and even quotations from La Maison dans les dunes. The piano
30reduction of La Glu (figure 37) contains material from Calme of Les Heures dolentes
(figure 38), and Antar (figure 39) contains passages from Houles in La Maison dans les
dunes (figure 40).
Figure 37. La Glu, Act II, mm. 152-155.
Figure 38. Calme, mm. 42-45.
31Figure 39. Antar, Act III, mm. 665-669.
Figure 40. Houles, mm. 122-128.
32One wonders if the process of creating the piano reduction for La Cabrera
inspired the significantly more advanced and thickly textured pieces of Les Heures
dolentes, when compared with his two earlier piano works. Dupont also had plans to
orchestrate several pieces from La Maison dans les dunes.31 The orchestrations and
Dupont’s reuse of material from his piano pieces in his operas suggests a strong
connection between his piano compositions and orchestral thinking. The densely textured
writing sounds more balanced through minimizing the inner voices in his piano music.
31
Dumesnil, 444.
33CHAPTER 5 TRACK LISTING AND PROGRAM NOTES
Track listing with DOIs
1. Les Heures dolentes I. Épigraphe
DOI: 10.25820/10dn-7z34
2. Les Heures dolentes II. Le soir tombe dans le chambre
DOI: 10.25820/aq8e-fq85
3. Les Heures dolentes III. Du soleil au jardin
DOI: 10.25820/j922-ep67
4. Les Heures dolentes IV. Chanson de la pluie
DOI: 10.25820/cgrx-xr26
5. Les Heures dolentes V. Après-midi de dimanche
DOI: 10.25820/qtfp-z343
6. Les Heures dolentes VI. Le médecin
DOI: 10.25820/s1wv-8771
7. Les Heures dolentes VII. Une amie est venue avec des fleurs
DOI: 10.25820/dt5k-ct35
8. Les Heures dolentes VIII. La chanson du vent
DOI: 10.25820/z853-dc95
9. Les Heures dolentes IX. Au coin du feu
DOI: 10.25820/z0ph-bk30
10. Les Heures dolentes X. Coquetteries
DOI: 10.25820/m4kp-0n67
11. Les Heures dolentes XI. La mort rôde
DOI: 10.25820/hn4y-3g80
12. Les Heures dolentes XII. Des enfants jouent dans le jardin
DOI: 10.25820/kjbq-b744
13. Les Heures dolentes XIII. Nuit blanche – Hallucinations
DOI: 10.25820/qx7w-5f75
14. Les Heures dolentes XIV. Calme
DOI: 10.25820/br43-hg13
15. La Maison dans les dunes I. Dans les dunes, par un clair matin
DOI: 10.25820/tq37-a236
16. La Maison dans les dunes II. Voiles sur l’eau
DOI: 10.25820/kff9-4a44
17. La Maison dans les dunes III. La maison du souvenir
DOI: 10.25820/va2z-8b88
18. La Maison dans les dunes IV. Mon frère le Vent et ma sœur la Pluie
DOI: 10.25820/d73v-j512
3419. La Maison dans les dunes V. Mélancolie du bonheur
DOI: 10.25820/qkt8-kd79
20. La Maison dans les dunes VI. Le soleil se joue dans les vagues
DOI: 10.25820/x108-se08
21. La Maison dans les dunes VII. Le soir dans les pins
DOI: 10.25820/ytbg-ka32
22. La Maison dans les dunes VIII. Le bruissement de la mer, la nuit
DOI: 10.25820/b7n7-x067
23. La Maison dans les dunes IX. Clair d’étoiles
DOI: 10.25820/b1rc-3568
24. La Maison dans les dunes X. Houles
DOI: 10.25820/83p9-5506
25. Deux airs de ballet I. Pavane
DOI: 10.25820/bes6-e692
26. Deux airs de ballet II. Aria
DOI: 10.25820/rtnw-6161
27. Feuillets d’album I. Valse
DOI: 10.25820/h8tn-9p38
28. Feuillets d’album II. Fughette
DOI: 10.25820/dfgb-5c24
29. Feuillets d’album III. Berceuse
DOI: 10.25820/jn24-f564
30. Feuillets d’album IV. Air à danser
DOI: 10.25820/sbge-t127
Program notes
Les Heures dolentes (The dolent hours)
Les Heures dolentes was the first of two large-scale piano suites published by Dupont.
These fourteen pieces were composed between 1903 and 1905 as he first fell ill from
tuberculosis. The suite is prefaced with an epigraph by the symbolist poet, Henri de
Régnier:
…la voix mélancolique et basse
De quelqu’un qui n’est plus là-bas mais se souvient
Du pays monstrueux et morne d’où il vient. 32
32
...The low and melancholy voice
Of someone who is no longer there but who remembers
The monstrous and dreary country from where he comes
35Throughout the work, frequent changes of mood and many recitative-like passages can be
found. The suite portrays intimate and personal moments, some haunting visions verging
on the terrifying, and yet, some moments full of life and joy. The suite was dedicated to
Engelbert Humperdinck, the chair of the committee which selected Dupont’s opera, La
Cabrera, as the winner of the Sonzogno competition in 1904. Maurice Dumesnil
premiered the suite on December 19, 1906 at Salle des Agriculteurs.
Épigraphe (Epigraph)
As the title suggest, this piece sets the tone of what kind of music to expect throughout
these fourteen pieces. The suite features cyclical form and much of the recurring thematic
material comes from the two themes presented in this opening piece. Epigraphe begins
with a foreboding character and then moves into a more expressive character (sentiment
douloureux). In just two pages, this piece succinctly captures two of Dupont’s
characteristic moods; the foreboding suffering of his illness and the painful, yet beautiful
expression tinged with melancholy, as if smiling through tears.
Le soir tombe dans le chambre (Evening falls in the room)
This piece opens with a softer mood, almost a lullaby, as night slowly creeps in. The
mood becomes more mysterious as the whole tone scale emerges. After an interruption of
music that will become the Mélancolie du bonheur theme in La Maison dans les dunes,
the piece returns to the first character and closes quietly.
Du soleil au jardin (Sunshine in the garden)
In addition to Épigraphe, this piece contains thematic material that returns near the end.
The joyful nature present in this piece accounts for the third major mood of music to be
found in Dupont’s works. The opening is bright and sunny, featuring fragments of
Épigraphe, while the softer section is more languid.
Chanson de la pluie (Song of the rain)
The repeating notes in this piece represent the constant dripping of rain behind the song it
sings. The piece changes mood and tempo frequently with a soft and sustained sound, a
more joyous and animated sound, and a very free (très librement) sound. Finally, the rain
ends and the piece closes quietly.
Après-midi de dimanche (Sunday Afternoon)
Reminiscent of Fauré with its meandering harmonies, this piece contains a certain amount
of reverie. The transition back to the main theme features material that will be developed
in Des enfants jouent dans le jardin. The bells from the climax of the middle section
return near the end of the piece and also return in Calme. This time they are presented
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