Louis Cahuzac
Encyclopedia
Louis Cahuzac (12 July 1880 – 9 August 1960) was a French
clarinet
ist and composer
. Cahuzac was an outstanding performer and one of the few clarinetists who made a career as a soloist in the first part of the 20th century.
Louis Cahuzac was born in Quarante
,south France. His teachers were Felix Pagès in Toulouse conservatoire and Cyrille Rose
in Paris conservatoire.
Cahuzac made the first recording of Carl Nielsen
's Clarinet Concerto
, a piece originally written for the Danish clarinetist Aage Oxenvad
.
On 22 November 1956, at the age of 76, he recorded the Clarinet Concerto in A major by Paul Hindemith
for the EMI music label
under the composer's baton.
He was a great teacher also and many students became famous like Yona Ettlinger,Hans Rudolph Stadler,Gervase de Peyer,André Boutard (Paris Opera) or Gilbert Voisin (Geneva international prize winner in 1950) and Palle Nehammer.
Cahuzac died at Bagnères-de-Luchon
.
Philippe Cuper: "the first complete music by Cahuzac from the manuscript"(2002 recording but published in 2011 by "Clarinet Classics")
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
ist and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
. Cahuzac was an outstanding performer and one of the few clarinetists who made a career as a soloist in the first part of the 20th century.
Louis Cahuzac was born in Quarante
Quarante
Quarante is a commune in the Hérault department in Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France....
,south France. His teachers were Felix Pagès in Toulouse conservatoire and Cyrille Rose
Cyrille Rose
Cyrille Rose, full name Chrysogone Cyrille Rose was an important French clarinet principal clarinet at the Paris Opera, teacher and composer of pedagogical material for the clarinet still widely in use today .Cyrille's teacher was...
in Paris conservatoire.
Cahuzac made the first recording of Carl Nielsen
Carl Nielsen
Carl August Nielsen , , widely recognised as Denmark's greatest composer, was also a conductor and a violinist. Brought up by poor but musically talented parents on the island of Funen, he demonstrated his musical abilities at an early age...
's Clarinet Concerto
Clarinet Concerto (Nielsen)
Carl Nielsen's Concerto for Clarinet and orchestra, op. 57 [D.F.129] was written for Danish clarinetist Aage Oxenvad in 1928. The concerto is presented in one long movement, with four distinct theme groups.-History:...
, a piece originally written for the Danish clarinetist Aage Oxenvad
Aage Oxenvad
Aage Oxenvad was a Danish clarinetist who played in the Royal Danish Orchestra from 1909. Carl Nielsen wrote his Clarinet Concerto for Oxenvad who played at its premiere in 1928.-Early life:...
.
On 22 November 1956, at the age of 76, he recorded the Clarinet Concerto in A major by Paul Hindemith
Paul Hindemith
Paul Hindemith was a German composer, violist, violinist, teacher, music theorist and conductor.- Biography :Born in Hanau, near Frankfurt, Hindemith was taught the violin as a child...
for the EMI music label
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
under the composer's baton.
He was a great teacher also and many students became famous like Yona Ettlinger,Hans Rudolph Stadler,Gervase de Peyer,André Boutard (Paris Opera) or Gilbert Voisin (Geneva international prize winner in 1950) and Palle Nehammer.
Cahuzac died at Bagnères-de-Luchon
Bagnères-de-Luchon
Bagnères-de-Luchon , also referred to as Luchon, is a spa town and a commune in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern France.-Geography:...
.
Compositions
His compositions were mainly for the clarinet and all are inspired by his native region in Southern France:- In the Fantaisie sur un vieil air champêtre the theme is introduced by the piano, followed by a dazzling cadenzaCadenzaIn music, a cadenza is, generically, an improvised or written-out ornamental passage played or sung by a soloist or soloists, usually in a "free" rhythmic style, and often allowing for virtuosic display....
. This is followed by four variations exploring the full resources of the clarinet. - Arlequin for solo clarinet evokes Harlequin, one of the characters in the Italian commedia del arte.
- The Pastorale cévenole as well as Cantilène radiate with the Mediterranean light of his beloved southern France and echo-type effects suggest open, mountainous spaces.
- His Variations sur un air du pays d'Oc (Variations on a tune from the South of France) is a set of four variations on Se Canto, a song from the valley of the GaronneGaronneThe Garonne is a river in southwest France and northern Spain, with a length of .-Source:The Garonne's headwaters are to be found in the Aran Valley in the Pyrenees, though three different locations have been proposed as the true source: the Uelh deth Garona at Plan de Beret , the Ratera-Saboredo...
.
Recordings by Cahuzac
- Luigi BassiLuigi BassiLuigi Bassi, Pesaro, 5 September 1766 – Dresden, 13 September 1825, was an Italian operatic baritone.When writing his Life of Rossini, Stendhal tells of the time in 1813 when he met Bassi in Dresden and spoke of "Mr Mozart;" Bassi said he was entranced that someone should still refer to him as "Mr"...
. Les grands maîtres da la Clarinette, Fantaisie Brilliante sue Rigoletto (G. Verdi), Dante Productions LYS 366 (p) 1998 - Louis Cahuzac. The French Clarinet School Revisited, Cantilène, Grenadilla RGP-10008CD
- Louis Cahuzac. Les grands maîtres da la Clarinette, Variations sur un air du pays d'Oc, Dante Productions LYS 366 (p) 1998
- Marc Delmas. Les grands maîtres da la Clarinette, Fantaisie Italienne op.110, Dante Productions LYS 366 (p) 1998
- Paul HindemithPaul HindemithPaul Hindemith was a German composer, violist, violinist, teacher, music theorist and conductor.- Biography :Born in Hanau, near Frankfurt, Hindemith was taught the violin as a child...
. Clarinet Concerto in A-major, Composers in Person, EMI Classics , CDS 5 55032 2 - Arthur HoneggerArthur HoneggerArthur Honegger was a Swiss composer, who was born in France and lived a large part of his life in Paris. He was a member of Les six. His most frequently performed work is probably the orchestral work Pacific 231, which is interpreted as imitating the sound of a steam locomotive.-Biography:Born...
. The French Clarinet School Revisited, Sonatine, Grenadilla RGP-10008CD - Paul JeanjeanPaul JeanjeanPaul Jeanjean was a noted French composer. While known primarily for his clarinet compositions, he also composed for other instruments, such as the bassoon and cornet...
. Les grands maîtres da la Clarinette, Clair Matin, Dante Productions LYS 366 (p) 1998 - Paul Jeanjean. Les grands maîtres da la Clarinette, Arabesques, Dante Productions LYS 366 (p) 1998
- Paul Jeanjean. The French Clarinet School Revisited, Arabesques, Grenadilla RGP-10008CD
- Paul LacômePaul LacomePaul-Jean-Jacques Lacome d'Estalenx was a French composer. Between 1870 and the turn of the century he produced a series of operettas and operas-bouffes that were popular both in France and abroad...
. Les grands maîtres da la Clarinette, Rigaudon, Dante Productions LYS 366 (p) 1998 - Aurélio MagnaniAurélio MagnaniAurelio Magnani was an Italian teacher of and performer on the clarinet.He taught in Venice and Rome and produced many pupils. He wrote a clarinet method in addition to the Mazurka Caprice that can be heard on some recent reissues on CD of historical recordings by Louis Cahuzac.The work is pure...
. Les grands maîtres da la Clarinette, Mazurka-caprice, Dante Productions LYS 366 (p) 1998 - Aurélio Magnani. Historical Recordings, Volume II, Mazurka-caprice, Clarinet Classics CC0010 © 1994, (p) 1994
- Georges MigotGeorges MigotGeorges Migot was a prolific French composer. Though primarily known as a composer, he was also a poet, often integrating his poetry into his compositions, and an accomplished painter...
. Les grands maîtres da la Clarinette, Quatuor pour Flûte, Violon, Clarinette et Harpe, Dante Productions LYS 366 (p) 1998 - Henri Paradis. Les grands maîtres da la Clarinette, Introduction et variations sur l'air de Marlborough, Dante Productions LYS 366 (p) 1998
- Henri Paradis. The French Clarinet School Revisited, Introduction et variations sur l'air de Marlborough, Grenadilla RGP-10008CD
- Gabriel PiernéGabriel PiernéHenri Constant Gabriel Pierné was a French composer, conductor, and organist.-Biography:Gabriel Pierné was born in Metz in 1863. His family moved to Paris to escape the Franco-Prussian War. He studied at the Paris Conservatoire, gaining first prizes for solfège, piano, organ, counterpoint and fugue...
. Les grands maîtres da la Clarinette, Canzonetta, Dante Productions LYS 366 (p) 1998 - Gabriel Pierné. The French Clarinet School Revisited, Canzonetta, Grenadilla RGP-10008CD
- Carl Maria von WeberCarl Maria von WeberCarl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber was a German composer, conductor, pianist, guitarist and critic, one of the first significant composers of the Romantic school....
. Les grands maîtres da la Clarinette, Concertino, Dante Productions LYS 366 (p) 1998
Recordings of his compositions
- Hans Petter Bonden. Mozart, Schubert, Cahuzac, Cantilène Simax PSC 1018, © 1988, (p) 1984
- Hans Petter Bonden. Mozart, Schubert, Cahuzac, Variations sur un air du pays d'Oc Simax PSC 1018, © 1988, (p) 1984
- Hans Petter Bonden. Mozart, Schubert, Cahuzac, Arlequin Simax PSC 1018, © 1988, (p) 1984
- Hans Petter Bonden. Mozart, Schubert, Cahuzac, Pastorale cévenole Simax PSC 1018, © 1988, (p) 1984
- Louis Cahuzac. Les grands maîtres da la Clarinette, Variations sur un air du pays d'Oc, Dante Productions LYS 366 (p) 1998
- Louis Cahuzac. The French Clarinet School Revisited, Cantilène, Grenadilla RGP-10008CD
- Guy Dangain. Louis Cahuzac: L'Œuvre pour Clarinette, Fantaisie sur un vieil air champêtre Caliope CAL 9338, © 2004, (p) 2003
- Guy Dangain. Louis Cahuzac: L'Œuvre pour Clarinette, Pastorale cévenole Caliope CAL 9338, © 2004, (p) 2003
- Guy Dangain. Louis Cahuzac: L'Œuvre pour Clarinette, Cantilène Caliope CAL 9338, © 2004, (p) 2003
- Guy Dangain. Louis Cahuzac: L'Œuvre pour Clarinette, Variations sur un air du pays d'Oc Caliope CAL 9338, © 2004, (p) 2003
- Ricardo MoralesRicardo MoralesRicardo Morales is a classical clarinetist of Puerto Rican descent. Since 2003, he has been the principal clarinetist of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Prior to that, he had been principal clarinetist at the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra...
. French Portraits, Cantilène Boston Records BR1064CD, © 2004, (p) 2004 - David WeberDavid Weber (clarinetist)David Weber was an American classical clarinetist known for the beauty of his tone, his inspired playing, and his influential teaching of the clarinet.-Early life:...
. A portrait of David Weber, Arlequin, Clarinet Classics CC0041, © 2002, (p) 2002 - David Weber. Les grands maîtres da la Clarinette, Arlequin, Dante Productions LYS 500, (p) 1978
Philippe Cuper: "the first complete music by Cahuzac from the manuscript"(2002 recording but published in 2011 by "Clarinet Classics")
Sources
- Liner Notes, Northbranch Records
- Notes by Michael Weber (2001) accompanying "A Portrait of David Weber: 'A Grand Master of the Clarinet' (Clarinet Classics CD CC0041)