| Contents |
Prologue and music between 1870-80. French music in the middle of the 19th century ; Described by Saint-Saens ; Early careers of Gounod, Saint-Saens and Massenet ; Franck ; Lalo ; Delibes -- 1889-90. D'Indy ; Lalo's Roi d'Ys ; Chabrier and the impact of Wagner ; Massenet's Manon ; Franck's last decade ; Gounod's old age ; Alkan -- 1890-1900 (1). The Germanic influence ; Wagner and the fusion of the arts ; The Revue Wagnerienne ; Foundation of the Schola Cantorum ; Atmosphere of the Franck circle ; Duparc and Chausson ; Lekeu and the danger of idealistic inflation ; D'Indy's opinions -- 1890-1900 (2). The French way ; Faure and the smaller forms ; Early career of Debussy ; His attitude to Wagner ; The impact of Russian music ; Satie ; Sources of Debussy's style ; Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un Faune ; Debussy as song-writer -- Opera, 1890-1910. Massenet ; Bruneau ; Charpentier ; D'Indy ; Debussy ; Dukas ; Messager and the operetta -- Conservatoire composers, 1900-14. The conservatoire and the Schola Cantorum ; Ravel ; His writing for the piano ; Comparison with Debussy ; Debussy's preludes ; Faure's piano music ; Penelope ; Debussy's later orchestral works ; Diaghliev and the Russian ballet ; Schmitt and Dukas -- The Schola Cantorum, 1900-14. D'Indy as teacher and composer ; The Schola composers ; Severac ; Magnard ; Breville ; Liturgical and organ music -- Transition and revolt, 1910-20. Early works of Roussel ; The new interest in ballet ; Debussy's last works ; Ravel ; Satie ; Satie and Cocteau ; 'Les six' ; Tailleferre ; Milhaud and polytonality ; Honegger ; Poulenc ; Auric ; Stravinsky and Satie -- Epilogue, after 1920. Tradition and innovation in French music ; Lesser figures reviewed ; The last works of d'Indy and Ravel ; Faure and the end of an era ; Roussel and tradition. |
| Abstract |
The French composers who flourished between 1869 and 1924 include Gounod, Saint-Saens, Bizet, Massenet, Franck, Chabrier, Faure, d'Indy, Debussy, Ravel, Satie, Schmitt, Roussel, Milhaud, and Poulenc. One at least of these was a great composer; several were composers of important and enduring works; and all had individual contributions to make to French music--and indeed to European music as a whole. In this classic study, the author provides an entertaining yet sensitive account of a most fruitful half-century of music. |
