Edmé(-Marie-Ernest) Deldevez (1817-1897)

Edmé(-Marie-Ernest) Deldevez, born May 31, 1817, in Paris, and died November 6, 1897, in Paris, was a French violinist, conductor, theorist, and composer. Born into a watchmaker's family, he became familiar with music from an early age due to his family's connections with musicians. His first violin teacher was Jean-François Sudre (1787–1862), also known as an inventor and for his attempts to develop an artificial language based on notation principles. Deldevez was educated using Sudre's "musical language" method.

In 1825, Deldevez entered the Paris Conservatoire, winning first prize in solfège in 1831, first prize in violin in 1833 (studying with Habeneck), and first prize in counterpoint and fugue in 1838 (studying with Halévy and Reicha). He studied composition in Henri-Montan Berton's (1767–1844) class and won the second Grand Prix de Rome in 1838 for his cantata La Vendetta. Additionally, he studied harmony in A. Elwart's (1808–1877) class, though he did not win a prize. In 1840, he failed to win the Grand Prix de Rome, but with the assistance of his teacher Berton, a concert of his own works was held, featuring his symphonies, overtures, and cantatas.

Career as a Violinist

Soon after winning first prize in violin in 1833, Deldevez was hired as a second violinist at the Opéra, becoming a first violinist in 1837. Furthermore, from at least 1833, he was invited by his teacher Habeneck to play in the orchestra of the Société des Concerts du Conservatoire de Paris (he officially became a member in 1839 and remained so until 1885).

Career as a Conductor

His career as a conductor began in 1847. From April of that year to October 1859, he served as the third conductor at the Opéra. From November 1859, he became assistant conductor, and then in March of the following year, upon the death of his predecessor Girard, he was promoted to principal conductor. Concurrently, he briefly served as conductor of the Société des Concerts du Conservatoire de Paris, replacing Girard. Although he retired from the Opéra in June 1870, after the Franco-Prussian War, following the death of conductor Georges Hainl, he returned as principal conductor in June 1873. He witnessed the completion of the Opéra Garnier in 1872 and conducted there until 1877. Furthermore, due to Hainl's death, he became the conductor of the Société des Concerts du Conservatoire de Paris, wielding the baton until 1885.

Career as an Educator

As an educator, Deldevez was appointed professor of the newly established conducting class, the first of its kind, in October 1873, under Ambroise Thomas, who had been director of the Paris Conservatoire since 1871. He taught until October 1885. That year, he fell ill, but he remained involved in the Conservatoire's educational administration until the year before his death.

Career as a Theorist and Writer

As a theorist, Deldevez authored numerous works from the 1860s onwards:

• La Notation de la musique classique comparée à la notation de la musique moderne et de l’exécution des petites notes en général (1867) [The Notation of Classical Music Compared to the Notation of Modern Music and the Performance of Small Notes in General]
• Principes d’enseignement des intervalles et des accords basés sur le système tonal moderne (same year) [Principles of Teaching Intervals and Chords Based on the Modern Tonal System]
• L’Art du chef d’orchestre (1878) [The Art of the Conductor]
• De l’exécution d’ensemble (1888) [On Ensemble Performance]

In addition, he compiled numerous collections of arrangements and edited scores, spanning from the Baroque era to contemporary Wagner, edited with a broad historical perspective. As a writer, he published critical reviews of classical composers, Curiosités musicales (1872) [Musical Curiosities], Mes mémoires (1890) [My Memoirs], and its sequel, Du passé à propos du présent faisant suite à mes Mémoires (1892) [On the Past in Relation to the Present, Following My Memoirs].

Career as a Composer

As a composer, Deldevez wrote three Requiems, several sacred choral works, hymns, operas, and songs. His instrumental works include:

• Three symphonies (Op. 2, Op. 8 "in a majestic style," Op. 15 "heroic and comic")
• Ballet music, including Paquita, which is the only work that remains in the repertoire today
• String quintet with double bass (Op. 22)
• Two piano trios (Op. 9, Op. 23)
• Two string quartets (Op. 10)
• Several small pieces for violin and piano
• Piano pieces

Although the proportion of piano pieces is very small, as the composer was not a pianist, his Trois Préludes (1867), consisting of three pieces titled "Past," "Present," and "Future," intellectually depicts the contemporary Parisian music scene—namely, the coexistence of classical music and the "avant-garde" of the time, championed by Wagner.

References

Gérard Streletski, « Deldevez, Edmé-Marie-Ernest », Dictionnaire de la musique en France au XIXe siècle, Paris, 2003, p. 369.