Charles Simon Catel
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Charles Simon Catel (10 July 1773 – 29 November 1830) was a French composer and educator born at L'Aigle, Orne.
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[edit] Biography
Catel studied at the Royal School of Singing in Paris. He was the chief assistant to François-Joseph Gossec at the orchestra of the National Guard in 1790. A member of the Institute, he jointly composed pieces of military music for official state ceremonies, including L'Hymne à la Victoire (Victory Hymn), with words by Ponce-Denis Écouchard-Lebrun). He was appointed inaugural professor of harmony at the Paris Conservatory, but was destitute in 1814. Amongst his students was the famous, if eccentric, harpist Nicolas Bochsa, who received first prize for harmony in 1808. Catel died in Paris.
His works include a "Treatise on Harmony" (1802), several dramatic compositions at the National Opera of Paris: Sémiramis, the Bayadères ; at the Opéra-Comique: Artistes par occasion, l'Auberge de Bagnères (1807) ; Wallace (1817); symphonies, quartets etc.
[edit] Works
[edit] Lyrical works
- Sémiramis, lyric tragedy in three acts, libretto by Philippe Desriaux based on Voltaire, performed by the Opéra de Paris on 4 May 1802.
- Les Artistes par occasion, farcical opera in one act, libretto by Alexandre Duval, performed at the Opéra-Comique in 1807.
- L'Auberge de Bagnères, farcical opera in 3 acts, libretto by C. Jalabert, performed by the Opéra-Comique in 1807.
- Les Bayadères, opera in 3 acts, libretto by Victor-Joseph-Étienne de Jouy based on Voltaire, performed at Opéra de Paris on 8 August 1810.
- Les Aubergistes de qualité, comedy in 3 acts, libretto by Victor-Joseph-Étienne de Jouy, performed at Opéra-Comique on 17 June 1812
- Bayard à Mézières, comedy in one act, libretto by Alisvan de Chazet and Louis Emmanuel Mercier Dupaty, performed at Opéra-Comique in 1814.
- Le Premier en date, comedy in one act, libretto by Marc-Antoine Désaugiers and Pessey, performed at Opéra-Comique in 1814.
- Wallace ou Le Ménestrel écossais, epic opera in 3 acts, libretto by L. Ch. J. Fontanes de Saint-Marcellin, performed at Opéra-Comique in 1817.
- Zirphile et Fleur de Myrte ou Cent Ans en un jour, "opéra-féerie" in 2 acts, libretto by Victor-Joseph-Étienne de Jouy and Nicolas Lefebvre, performed at Opéra de Paris in 1818.
- L'Officier enlevé, comedy in one act, libretto by Alexandre Duval, performed at Opéra-Comique in 1819.
[edit] Vocal and choral works
- Chant triomphal, 1807.
- Ode sur le Vaisseau Le Vengeur, words by Ponce-Denis Écouchard-Lebrun, for euphonium and orchestra.
- Hymne sur la reconquête de Toulon, for male choir and orchestra.
[edit] Sources
- Bouillet's Dictionnaire d'histoire et de géographie (1842),
- This article incorporates text translated from the corresponding French Wikipedia article as of 4 Oct 2007.
