Henri Duparc

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(b Paris, 21 Jan 1848; d Mont-de-Marsan, 12 Feb 1933). French composer. He studied the piano and composition with Franck, writing works that he later destroyed; this loss, together with a crippling psychological condition that caused him to abandon composition at the age of 36, has resulted in a legacy of just 13 songs (composed 1868-84). An important influence is Wagner, seen in the ambitious harmonic structure of Chanson triste and the shifting chromaticism of Soupir. Yet Duparc's feeling for poetic atmosphere and the craftsmanship he used to communicate it, as in the sinister drama of La manoir de Rosemonde, were unique, giving the French mélodie a rare musical substance and emotional intensity. From 1885 he led a quiet life, remaining close to Ernest Chausson and cultivating his aesthetic sensibility through reading and drawing.

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Duparc, Henri (äNrē' düpärk'), 1848-1933, French composer. Duparc studied piano with César Franck and became one of his first composition pupils. A nervous disorder caused him to cease composing in 1885. He spent the rest of his life in Switzerland. Extremely self-critical, Duparc destroyed many of his works, so that only a handful remain. His fame rests entirely on the 14 beautiful songs he wrote between 1868 and 1884.

Bibliography

See S. Northcote, The Songs of Henri Duparc (1949).

• Genres: Vocal Music

Biography

Henri Duparc (1848-1933) probably left the smallest body of work of any major composer. He is primarily remembered for his 17 late Romantic mélodies (French art songs) many of which are considered masterpieces of the genre. His legacy is small because he essentially stopped composing at 36, probably as a result of mental illness, and he later destroyed many works, including his most ambitious project, an unfinished opera based on Pushkin. Among his best-known songs are Chanson triste, Soupir, Extase, L'invitation au voyage, Le manoir de Rosamonde, Phidylé, and La vie antérieure. Other remaining works include several orchestral and piano pieces. ~ Stephen Eddins, Rovi

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