Pierre-Louis Dietsch
Encyclopedia
Pierre-Louis Dietsch was a French composer and conductor, perhaps best remembered for the much anthologized Ave Maria
'by' Jacques Arcadelt
, which he loosely arranged from that composer's three part madrigal Nous voyons que les hommes.
Fétis
has reported that Dietsch was a choirboy at the Dijon Cathedral, and beginning in 1822 studied at Choron
's Institution Royale de Musique Classique et Religieuse in Paris. Later, after 1853, Dietsch was a teacher at the Ecole Niedermeyer
(successor of Choron's Institution), a position he held up until his death. In 1830 Dietsch entered the Paris conservatory
and studied with Anton Reicha
. His subjects included double bass
and counterpoint (with Reicha).
Dietsch composed church music as well as an opera Le vaisseau fantôme, ou Le maudit des mers ("The Fantom Ship, or The Accursed of the Sea"), which was first performed on 9 November 1842 at the Paris Opera
. The libretto by Paul Foucher
and H. Révoil was based on Walter Scott's The Pirate
as well as Captain Marryat's The Phantom Ship
and other sources, although Wagner
thought it was based on his scenario for Der fliegende Holländer
, which he had just sold to the Opera. The similarity of Dietsch's opera to Wagner's is slight, although Wagner's assertion is often repeated. Berlioz thought Le vaisseau fantôme too solemn, but other reviewers were more favourable.
In 1840 Dietsch had become chorus
master at the Paris Opera on Rossini's recommendation. He took over from Girard as conductor in 1860, but nonetheless could not avoid run-ins with the greatest composers of his day: Wagner blamed the fiasco of the Paris Opera premiere of Tannhäuser
(1861) on the conductor, and in 1863 Dietsch resigned over a dispute with Verdi in the midst of rehearsals for Verdi's Les vêpres siciliennes
.
Ave Maria
Ave Maria may refer to:*Ave Maria , the "Hail Mary", a traditional Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox prayer calling for the intercession of Mary, the mother of Jesus-Music:...
'by' Jacques Arcadelt
Jacques Arcadelt
Jacques Arcadelt was a Franco-Flemish composer of the Renaissance, active in both Italy and France, and principally known as a composer of secular vocal music...
, which he loosely arranged from that composer's three part madrigal Nous voyons que les hommes.
Fétis
François-Joseph Fétis
François-Joseph Fétis was a Belgian musicologist, composer, critic and teacher. He was one of the most influential music critics of the 19th century, and his enormous compilation of biographical data in the Biographie universelle des musiciens remains an important source of information today...
has reported that Dietsch was a choirboy at the Dijon Cathedral, and beginning in 1822 studied at Choron
Alexandre-Étienne Choron
Alexandre-Étienne Choron for a short time directed the Paris Opera. He played an essential role in France in making a clear distinction between sacred and secular music, and was one of the originators of French interest in musicology.- Biography :Choron studied mathematics at the collège de Juilly...
's Institution Royale de Musique Classique et Religieuse in Paris. Later, after 1853, Dietsch was a teacher at the Ecole Niedermeyer
Louis Niedermeyer
Abraham Louis Niedermeyer was a composer chiefly of church music but also of a few operas, and a teacher who took over the Ecole Choron, duly renamed École Niedermeyer, a school for the study and practice of church music, where several eminent French musicians studied including Gabriel Fauré and...
(successor of Choron's Institution), a position he held up until his death. In 1830 Dietsch entered the Paris conservatory
Conservatoire de Paris
The Conservatoire de Paris is a college of music and dance founded in 1795, now situated in the avenue Jean Jaurès in the 19th arrondissement of Paris, France...
and studied with Anton Reicha
Anton Reicha
Anton Reicha was a Czech-born, later naturalized French composer. A contemporary and lifelong friend of Beethoven, Reicha is now best remembered for his substantial early contribution to the wind quintet literature and his role as a teacher – his pupils included Franz Liszt and Hector Berlioz...
. His subjects included double bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
and counterpoint (with Reicha).
Dietsch composed church music as well as an opera Le vaisseau fantôme, ou Le maudit des mers ("The Fantom Ship, or The Accursed of the Sea"), which was first performed on 9 November 1842 at the Paris Opera
Paris Opera
The Paris Opera is the primary opera company of Paris, France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the Académie d'Opéra and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and renamed the Académie Royale de Musique...
. The libretto by Paul Foucher
Paul Foucher
Paul-Henri Foucher was a French playwright, theatre and music critic, political journalist, and novelist.-Early career:...
and H. Révoil was based on Walter Scott's The Pirate
The Pirate (novel)
The Pirate is a novel by Walter Scott, based roughly on the life of John Gow who features as Captain Cleveland. The setting is the southern tip of the main island of Shetland , around 1700...
as well as Captain Marryat's The Phantom Ship
The Phantom Ship
The Phantom Ship is a Gothic novel by Frederick Marryat which explores the legend of the Flying Dutchman and, in one chapter, features a werewolf....
and other sources, although Wagner
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
thought it was based on his scenario for Der fliegende Holländer
The Flying Dutchman (opera)
Der fliegende Holländer is an opera, with music and libretto by Richard Wagner.Wagner claimed in his 1870 autobiography Mein Leben that he had been inspired to write "The Flying Dutchman" following a stormy sea crossing he made from Riga to London in July and August 1839, but in his 1843...
, which he had just sold to the Opera. The similarity of Dietsch's opera to Wagner's is slight, although Wagner's assertion is often repeated. Berlioz thought Le vaisseau fantôme too solemn, but other reviewers were more favourable.
In 1840 Dietsch had become chorus
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
master at the Paris Opera on Rossini's recommendation. He took over from Girard as conductor in 1860, but nonetheless could not avoid run-ins with the greatest composers of his day: Wagner blamed the fiasco of the Paris Opera premiere of Tannhäuser
Tannhäuser (opera)
Tannhäuser is an opera in three acts, music and text by Richard Wagner, based on the two German legends of Tannhäuser and the song contest at Wartburg...
(1861) on the conductor, and in 1863 Dietsch resigned over a dispute with Verdi in the midst of rehearsals for Verdi's Les vêpres siciliennes
Les vêpres siciliennes
Les vêpres siciliennes is an opéra in five acts by the Italian romantic composer Giuseppe Verdi set to a French libretto by Charles Duveyrier and Eugène Scribe from their work Le duc d'Albe, which was written in 1838 and offered to Halevy and Donizetti before Verdi...
.
Sources
- Sadie, Stanley, editor (1992). The New Grove Dictionary of Opera (4 volumes). London: Macmillan. ISBN 9781561592289.