Jean Cras

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Jean Cras at sea in his Naval uniform with his cat, Bleu-Nial (1902).
Jean Cras at sea in his Naval uniform with his cat, Bleu-Nial (1902).

Jean Cras (pronounced [ʒɑ̃ kʁaz][1]) (22 May 1879 - September 14, 1932) was a 20th century French composer.

Contents

[edit] Biography

Cras was born and died in Brest. His compositions were inspired by his native Brittany, his travels to Africa, and most of all, by his sea voyages as a career Naval officer. He was a pupil and life-long friend of Henri Duparc, the famous French composer.

His lyric tragedy, Polyphème is considered his masterpiece. The opera was acclaimed at its premiere in 1922, giving Cras a burst of notoriety in the French press. The title character is Polyphemus, who, according to Greek mythology, is the eldest Cyclops and son of Poseidon. It tells the well-known story of the attempt by Polyphemus (baritone) to steal Galatea (soprano) from Acis (tenor). Albert Samain, the librettist, humanized Polyphemus by having him become aware of the feelings shared by two lovers and thus, decide not to crush them by a rolling rock. Ultimately, the cyclops wanders into the sea to find death because the couple's happiness horrifies him. The music is impressionistic, restless, and highly chromatic, in the spirit of Chausson and Duparc. (A fine recording of this opera was released in 2003, with Bramwell Tovey conducting the Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra and Armand Arapian in the title role.)

[edit] Selected Works

[edit] Opera

  • Polyphème, opera in five acts on a lyric drama by Albert Samain (1910-1918, Ed. Salabert) (f.p. Opéra Comique, Paris, 29 December 1922.)

Published excerpts:

  • N° 1: « Oh ! qui m’enlèvera… », Polyphème: Act III, scene 1, (1921, Senart)
  • N° 2: « Il est parti… Pourquoi faut-il que l’heure arrive », Galatée: Act IV, scene 5, (1921, Senart)
  • Le Sommeil de Galatée, musical interlude from Act I, (1922, Senart)

[edit] Vocal Compositions

  • (1892–1896, numerous songs in manuscript, "Album de jeunesse")
  • Panis angelicus (August 1899, ms.)
  • Sept mélodies, (poems by Rodenbach, Droin, Verlaine, Baudelaire) for voice and piano (1899-1905, Ed. Salabert)
1. Douceur du soir, poem by Georges Rodenbach (1901)
2. Mains lasses, poem by Georges Rodenbach (1905)
3. L’espoir luit, poem by Paul Verlaine (Sagesse III), (1900, 1st ed.; 1909, éd. mutuelle de la Schola Cantorum)
4. Le Son du cor, poem by Paul Verlaine (Sagesse X), (1900)
5. Rêverie, poem by Alfred Droin, (1903, 1st ed.; 1909, éd. mutuelle de la Schola Cantorum)
6. Nocturne, poem by Alfred Droin, (1903, 1st ed.; 1909, éd. mutuelle de la Schola Cantorum)
7. Correspondances, poem by Charles Baudelaire (1901)
  • Ave verum, for voice, violin, organ (or harmonium) (1905, ms.)
  • Deuxième messe à 4 voix a capella (1907-08, ms.)
1. Kyrie (1907)
2. Gloria (1907)
3. Sanctus (1908)
4. Benedictus (1908)
  • Regina coeli, voices with organ (1909, pub. 1914, Ed. Schola Cantorum)
  • Ave Maria, for voive with organ (August 1910, ms.)
  • Elégies (four poems by Albert Samain), for voice with orchestra (1910, Ed. Durand)
  • L’Offrande lyrique (seven poems by Rabindranath Tagore, transl. André Gide), for voice with piano (1920/1, Ed. Salabert)
  • Image (poem by E. Schneider), for voice with piano (1921, Ed. Salabert)
  • Fontaines (five poems by Lucien Jacques), for voice & orchestra, or for voice & piano (1923, Ed. Salabert)
  • Cinq Robaïyats (five Persian quatrains by Omar Khayyam, transl. Franz Toussaint), for voice with piano (1924, Ed. Salabert)
  • Dans la montagne (poems by Maurice Boucher), five chorales for male quartet (1925, Ed. Salabert)
  • Hymne en l’honneur d’une Sainte (text by Jean Cras) for female voices with organ (1925, Ed. Salabert)
  • Vocalise-Etude, for voice and piano (1928, Ed. Leduc)
  • La Flûte de Pan for voice, Pan-pipes, violin, viola and cello (four poems by Lucien Jacques), (1928, Ed. Salabert)
  • Soir sur la mer (poem by Virginie Hériot), for voice and piano (1929, Ed. Salabert)
  • Trois Noëls (poems by Léon Chancerel), for voices and chorus with piano (1929, Ed. Salabert)
  • Trois chansons bretonnes (poems by Jean Cras), for voice and piano (1932, Ed. Salabert)
  • Deux chansons: le roi Loudivic, Chanson du barde, extracts from Chevalier étranger by Tanguy Malmanche, for voice and piano (1932, Ed.Salabert)

[edit] Chamber Music

  • Voyage symbolique (premier trio), for piano, violin & cello (1899, ms.)
  • L'Esprit (première sonate), for violin & piano (1900, ms.)
  • L'Âme (deuxième sonate), for viola & piano (1900, ms.)
  • La Chair (troisième sonate), for cello & piano (1900, Ed. Durand)
  • Trio en ut pour piano, violon et violoncelle (1907, Ed. Durand)
  • À ma Bretagne, string quartet (1909, Ed. Salabert)
  • Quintette, for flute, harp, violin, viola, cello & piano, or for piano and string quartet (1922, Ed. Salabert)
  • Prélude et danse: Demain, saxophone quartet (1924-1926, ms.)
  • Deux Impromptus pour harpe (1925, Ed. Salabert)
  • Trio pour violon, alto et violoncelle (1925, Ed. Salabert; 1927, Senart) Senart Edition, minature score (publ. 1927) From Sibley Music Library Digital Scores Collection
  • Quatre petites pièces pour violon et piano:
1. Air varé (1926, Ed. Salabert)
2. Habañera (1927, Ed. Salabert)
3. Evocation (1928, Ed.Salabert)
4. Epologue (1929, Ed. Salabert)
  • Suite en duo, for flute & harp, or for violin & piano (1927, Ed. Salabert)
  • Quintette pour harpe, flûte, violon, alto et violoncelle (1928, Ed. Salabert)
  • Légende, for cello & piano (reduction of work for cello & orchestra (1930, Senart)

[edit] Piano works

  • Impromptu pastoral (1900, ms.)
  • Petite pièce en fa mineur (1901, ms.)
  • Valse en mi majeur (1904, ms.)
  • Cinq poèmes intimes pour piano: (1912, E. Demets)
1. En Islande (1902, Ed. Eschig)
2. Preludio con fughetta (1902, Ed. Eschig)
3. Au fil de l’eau (1911, Ed. Eschig)
4. Recueillement (1904, Ed. Eschig)
5. La maison du matin (1911, Ed. Eschig)
  • Deux Paysages: Paysage maritime, Paysage champêtre, piano solo (1917, Ed. Durand)
  • Danze (1917, Rouart, Lerolle et cie.)
  • Quatre Danze: Danza morbida, Danza scherzosa, Danza tenera, Danza animata, piano solo (1917, Ed. Salabert)
  • Âmes d’enfants, pour 6 petites mains (1917, ms.) (version for piano, four hands. 1922, Senart.)
  • Ames d’enfants, piano, six hands, piano, four hands, also orchestrated (1918, Ed. Salabert)
  • Premier anniversaire, « A mon petit Jean-Pierre » (1 May 1919, ms.)
  • First string quartet, version for piano, 4 mains, (1921, Rouart, Lerolle et cie.)
  • Deux impromptus, for piano or harp, (1926, Senart)

[edit] Organ

  • Chorale (1904, ms.)
  • Grande marche nuptiale pour orgue (1904, Ed. Schola Cantorum)

[edit] Orchestral works

  • Andante religieux (1901, ms.)
  • Âmes d’enfants, orchestration of work for « piano et 6 petites mains » (1921, Senart)
  • Journal de bord, Suite symphonique (1927, Ed. Salabert)
  • Légende pour violoncelle et orchestre (1929, Ed. Salabert)
  • Concerto pour piano et orchestre (1931, Ed. Salabert), (reduction for 2 pianos, 1932, Senart)

[edit] References

  1. ^ AbeilleInfo.com: « Jean Cras (prononcer Crasz) »

[edit] Bibliography

  • Bempéchat, Paul-André. "Jean Cras", Revised New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. London: MacMillan.
  • Cras, M. & Surchamp, Dom Angelico. "Regard sur Jean Cras". Zodiaque, Numéro 123, January 1980.
  • Dumesnil, R. Portraits de musiciens français. Paris: 1938. Chapter on Jean Cras.
  • Himonet, André. "Jean Cras, musicien de la mer". Revue de la Société Internationale des Amis de la Musique française, December 1932
  • Malherbe, Henry. "Jean Cras." Le Temps, 21 September 1932.
  • Thomazi, A. Trois marins compositeurs: Roussel, Mariotte, & J. Cras. Paris, Imprimerie Bellemand, 1948.

[edit] External Links