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Francois Clement Theodore Dubois

1911 Encyclopedia Britannica

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FRANCOIS CLEMENT THEODORE DUBOIS (1837-), French musical composer, was born at Rosney (Marne) on the 24th of August 1837. He studied at the Conservatoire under Ambroise Thomas, and won the Grand Prix de Rome in 1861 with his cantata Atala. After the customary sojourn in Rome, Dubois returned to Paris and devoted himself to teaching. He was appointed "maitre de Chapelle" at the church of Ste Clotilde, where Cesar Franck was organist, in 1863, and remained at this post for five years, during which time he composed a quantity of sacred music, notably Les Sept Paroles du Christ (1867), a work which has become well known in France. In 1868 he became "maitre de Chapelle" at the church of the Madeleine, and nine years later succeeded Camille Saint-Satins there as organist. He became professor of harmony at the Conservatoire in 1871, and was appointed professor of composition in succession to Leo Delibes in 1891. At the death of Ambroise Thomas in 1896 he became director of the Conservatoire. Dubois is an extremely prolific composer and has written in a variety of forms. His sacred works include four masses, a requiem, Les Sept Paroles du Christ, a large number of motets and pieces for organ. For the theatre he has composed La Guzla de l'Emir, an opera comique in one act, played at the Theatre Lyrique de l'Athenee in 1873; Le Pain bis, an opera comique in one act, given at the Opera Comique in 1879; La Farandole, a ballet in three acts, produced at the Grand Opera in 1883; Aben-Hamet, a four-act opera, heard at the Theatre Italien in 1884; Xaviere, a dramatic idyll in three acts, played at the Opera Comique in 1895. His orchestral works include two concert overtures, the overture to Frithioff (1880), several suites, Marche heroique de Jeanne d'Arc (1888), &c. He is also the author of Le Paradis perdu, an oratorio which gained for him the prize offered by the city of Paris in 1878; L'Enlevement de Proserpine (1879), a scene lyrique; Delivrance (1887), a cantata; Hylas (1890), a scene lyrique for soli, chorus and orchestra; Notre Dame de la mer, a symphonic poem (1897); and a musical setting of a Latin ode on the baptism of Clovis (1899). In addition, he composed much for the piano and voice.