Charles Henry

Charles Henry (1859–1926) was a French librarian and editor. He was born at Bollwiller, Haut-Rhin, and was educated in Paris, where in 1881 he became assistant and afterward librarian in the Sorbonne. As a specialist in the history of mathematics, he was sent to Italy to seek some manuscripts of that nature which the government wished to publish. He edited several works upon kindred subjects, as well as memoirs, letters, and other volumes, and wrote critiques upon the musical theories of Rameau and Wronski. He is also credited with the invention of several ingenious devices and instruments used in psychophysiological laboratories. He published C. Huet's correspondence under the title Un érudit, homme du monde, homme d'église, homme de cour (1880), and he issued also Problèmes de géométrie pratique (1884) and Lettres inédites de Mlle. de Lespinasse à Condorcet et à D'Alembert (1887).

Charles Henry, a mathematician, inventor, esthetician, and intimate friend of the Symbolist and anarchist writers Félix Fénéon and Gustave Kahn, met Georges Seurat, Paul Signac and Camille Pissarro during the last Impressionist exhibition in 1886. Henry would take the final step in bringing emotional associational theory into the world of artistic sensation: something that would influence greatly the Neo-Impressionists. Henry and Seurat were in agreement that the basic elements of art—the line, particle of color, like words—could be treated autonomously, each possessing an abstract value independent of one another, if so chose the artist. In 1889 Fénéon noted that Seurat knew that the line, independent of its topographical role, possesses an assessable abstract value, in addition, to the individual pieces of color, and the relation of both to the observer's emotion.

The Neo-Impressionists established what was accepted as an objective scientific basis for their painting in the domain of color. The underlying theory behind Neo-Impressionism would have a lasting effect on the works produced in the coming years by the likes of Robert Delaunay. The Cubists were to do so in both form and dynamics, and the Orphists would do so with color too. The decomposition of spectral light expressed in Neo-Impressionist color theory of Paul Signac and Charles Henry played an important role in the formulation of Orphism. Robert Delaunay, Albert Gleizes, and Gino Severini all knew Henry personally.

Birth and Death Data: Born May 16, 1859 (Bollwiller), Died 1926 (Versailles)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1919 - 1927

Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, vocalist

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BVE-36925 10-in. 11/12/1926 Blues from the Everglades Morris' Hot Babies Jazz/dance band composer  
Victor BVE-36926 10-in. 11/12/1926 P. D. Q. blues Thomas Morris ; Morris' Hot Babies Jazz/dance band composer  
Victor BVE-37268 10-in. 12/18/1926 You got yourself another woman Eva Parker Female vocal solo, with violin, guitar, and piano composer  
Victor BVE-37269 10-in. 12/18/1926 I seen my pretty papa standing on a hill Eva Parker Female vocal solo, with violin, guitar, and piano composer  
Columbia W144063 10-in. 4/28/1927 P.D.Q. blues Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra Jazz/dance band composer  
OKeh S-7022 10-in. ca. Sept. 1919 I love to tell the story Charles Henry ; James Jordon Male vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist  
OKeh S-7023 10-in. ca. Sept. 1919 Is my name written there? Charles Henry ; James Jordon Male vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist  
OKeh S-7024 10-in. ca. Sept. 1919 In the secret of His presence Charles Henry ; James Jordon Male vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist  
OKeh S-7480 10-in. June 1920 I need Thee every hour Charles Henry ; James Jordon Male vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist  
OKeh S-7481 Not documented June 1920 [Unknown title(s)] Charles Henry ; James Jordon Male vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist  
OKeh S-7710 10-in. Dec. 1920 Crucifix Charles Henry ; James Jordon Male vocal duet, with orchestra vocalist  
Brunswick E21788-E21789 10-in. 3/8/1927 P.D.Q. blues Clarence Williams’ Washboard Band Jazz/dance ensemble, with male vocal solo composer  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Henry, Charles," accessed March 28, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104761.

Henry, Charles. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 28, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104761.

"Henry, Charles." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 28 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/104761

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