Henri-Paul Büsser

Henri Büsser, 1895, Bibliothèque nationale de France.

Henri Büsser (January 16, 1872 – December 31, 1973) was a French classical music composer and conductor.

Biography

Paul-Henri Büsser was born in Toulouse (Haute-Garonne), France. He entered the Conservatoire in Paris in 1889 where he studied organ with César Franck and composition with Ernest Guiraud. As musical secretary to Charles Gounod, he received valuable advice, and with Gounod's assistance, was appointed orgainst at Saint-Cloud. In 1893, he won the Prix de Rome for music, and upon his return from Italy, he began a career as a conductor. At the personal request of Claude Debussy, Büsser lead the fourth and all subsequant performances of Pelléas at Mélisande. Büsser also became a protégé of Jules Massenet, and was one of the elder composer's closest friends during the last two decades of his life.

Büsser began teaching at the Conservatoire in Paris in 1921, and was promoted to professor of composition in 1931. Noted students include the Japanese composer Tomojiro Ikenouchi (1906-1991). The Académie elected him as member in 1938.

He married the famous dramatic soprano Yvonne Gall (1885-1972) in Paris.

Büsser composed a wide range of compositions, especially for voice, but his most important works were for the stage. His operas include Daphnis et Chloé, Colomba, and Les noces corinthiennes. Several stage works demonstrate his comic wit, especially Le carosse du Saint Sacrement and Roxelane, as well as the farce Diaforus 60, which is an update of Molière's Le malade imaginaire. His music exhibits a sophisticated compositional style and finely crafted orchestration, however, he remained faithful of French 19th century traditions.

Henri Büsser died in Paris in 1973 at the age of 101.

Operas

• Hélène, before 1890, incomplete
• Les accordailles, 1890, unperformed
• Les Marivaudages, 1891, unperformed
• Daphnis et Chloé, 1897
• Le miracle de perles, 1898, unperformed
• Blanc et noir, 1900
• Colomba, 1921
• Les noces corinthiennes, 1922
• La pie borgne, 1927
• Rhapsodie arménienne, 1930
• Le carrosse du Saint-Sacrement, 1948
• Roxelane, 1948
• Diafoirus 60, 1963
• La Vénus d'Ille, 1964

Writings

• De Pelléas aux Indes galantes—De la flûte au tambour, (memoires), 1955

Sources

• Sadie, Stanley (Ed.) [1992] (1994). The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, vol. 1, A-D, chpt: "Büsser [Busser], (Paul-)Henri" by Arthur Hoérée & Richard Langham Smith, New York: MacMillan. ISBN 0-935859-92-6.

External links

• Classical Composers Database Profile