Chausson, Ernest 1855 - 1899
Author: Miyamoto, Yumi
Last updated：May 1, 2007
Author: Miyamoto, Yumi
French composer. Born in Paris in 1855, he was raised in an environment free from financial constraints. Influenced by his tutor, he developed an interest in painting and began attending exhibitions and concerts. Furthermore, from the age of 15, he frequented salons, where he encountered the works of Schubert, Schumann, Mendelssohn, Bach, and Beethoven.
At his parents' strong urging, he enrolled in law school in 1875. He graduated at the top of his class just six months later, subsequently obtained a doctorate, and was appointed a lawyer in 1877. However, he did not choose the path of a lawyer; instead, he entered the Paris Conservatoire in 1879 and became a pupil of Massenet. He also unofficially audited Franck's classes and held him in high esteem. His trip to Germany to hear Wagner's operas also had a significant impact on him.
He married in 1883, led a happy family life, and was appointed secretary of the Société Nationale de Musique in 1886. His Parisian salon attracted figures such as the poet Mallarmé, composers Debussy and Albéniz, and the performer Cortot. Financially well-off, Chausson sometimes provided assistance to fellow composers like Debussy. He actively continued his compositional activities, producing lieder, chamber music, choral works, incidental music, operas, and symphonies, but he died in an accident in June 1899 at the age of 44.
Works(10)
Concerto (1)
concerto (1)
Piano Solo (6)
Chamber Music (2)