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André Messager

André Charles Prosper Messager (French: [mɛsaʒe]; 30 December 1853 – 24 February 1929) was a French composer, organist, pianist and conductor. His compositions include eight ballets and thirty opéras comiques, opérettes and other stage works, among which his ballet Les Deux Pigeons (1886) and opéra comique Véronique (1898) have had lasting success; Les P'tites Michu (1897) and Monsieur Beaucaire (1919) were also popular internationally.

Messager took up the piano as a small child and later studied composition with, among others, Camille Saint-Saëns and Gabriel Fauré. He became a major figure in the musical life of Paris and later London, both as a conductor and a composer. Many of his Parisian works were also produced in the West End and some on Broadway; the most successful had long runs and numerous international revivals. He wrote two operatic works in English, and his later output included musical comedies for Sacha Guitry and Yvonne Printemps.

As a conductor, Messager held prominent positions in Paris and London, at the head of the Opéra-Comique, the Paris Opéra, the Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire, and the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Although as a composer he is known chiefly for his light works, as a conductor he presented a wide range of operas, from Mozart to Richard Strauss, and he acquired a reputation as a conductor of Wagner. In Paris he conducted the world premieres of Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande, Massenet's Grisélidis and Charpentier's Louise. At Covent Garden, he gave the British premieres of operas by Saint-Saëns and Massenet.

Messager's music became known for its melodic and orchestral invention, musical craftsmanship, and characteristically French elegance and grace. Although most of his works have been infrequently revived, historians of music consider him the last major figure in French opéra comique and opérette.

Birth and Death Data: Born December 30, 1833 (Montluçon), Died February 24, 1929 (Paris)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1902 - 1938

Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, director, conductor

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

Recordings (Results 51-75 of 96 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Columbia 76465 12-in. approximately May 1919 Going to the ball John Clarke ; Marion Green ; Robert Parker ; Prince's Theatre Orchestra ; Kennedy Russell Vocal trio, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 76473 12-in. approximately May 1919 Finale, act 1 Marion Green ; Prince's Theatre Orchestra ; Kennedy Russell ; Maggie Teyte Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 76474 12-in. approximately May 1919 What are names? Marion Green ; Prince's Theatre Orchestra ; Kennedy Russell ; Maggie Teyte Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 76475 12-in. approximately May 1919 Finale, act 2 Marion Green ; Robert Parker ; Prince's Theatre Orchestra ; Kennedy Russell ; Maggie Teyte Vocal trio, with orchestra composer  
Columbia 86582 10-in. approximately September 1920 Véronique : De ci, de là Madeleine Cardinal ; Louis Chartier Female-male vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Brunswick 15121-15122 10-in. 3/11/1925 La maison grise Giuseppe Danise Baritone vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Brunswick E20634-E20635 10-in. 11/4/1926 Duetto de l’âne Blanche Archambault ; Louis Chartier Vocal duet (soprano and baritone) composer  
Brunswick E23054-E23055 10-in. 5/9/1927 La maison grise Giuseppe Danise Baritone vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Brunswick 57bv 10-in. 1929 Veronique : Fantasia, pt. 1 Symphony Orchestra [Brunswick Records (U.K.)] Orchestra composer  
Brunswick 58bv 10-in. 1929 Veronique : Fantasia, pt. 2 Symphony Orchestra [Brunswick Records (U.K.)] Orchestra composer  
Edison 520 Not documented approximately Jan. 1911 Valse des cigales Aino Ackté Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Edison 548 Not documented approximately Jan. 1911 Si j'avais vos ailes Aino Ackté Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Edison 7098 10-in. 1/8/1920 Red rose Arthur Middleton Baritone vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Edison 9028 10-in. 6/13/1923 Long ago in Alcalá Charles Albert Baker ; Arthur Middleton Male vocal solo, with piano composer  
Gramophone 344y 10-in. 2/6/1909 Ysoline (Bailete mazurka) Banda del Real Cuerpo de Guardias Alabarderos de Madrid Band composer  
Gramophone 1293F[o] 10-in. Dec. 1902 Conte bleu Jean-François Delmas Bass vocal solo, with piano composer  
Gramophone 1303F[o] 10-in. December 1902 Hélas! je ne dois plus entendre Albert Piccaluga Baritone vocal solo composer  
Gramophone 1772F[o] 10-in. 1903 Fantaisie Garde Républicaine Band Band composer  
Gramophone Bb11341 10-in. 9/2/1927 La maison grise John McCormack ; Edwin Schneider Tenor vocal solo, with piano composer  
Gramophone 15880u 10-in. 6/23/1910 Isoline ballet Orchestre symphonique du Gramophone Orchestra composer  
Gramophone Bb17183 10-in. 7/12/1929 J'ai deux amants Yvonne Printemps Female vocal solo, with orchestra composer  
Gramophone Bb17184 10-in. 7/12/1929 Duo du 2ème acte Sacha Guitry ; Yvonne Printemps Female vocal, with spoken dialog and orchestra composer  
Columbia (U.K.) WLX207 12-in. 2/17/1928 Duo de Marie et Colette Jules Clémandh ; Louise Dhamarys ; Georgette Simon Vocal duet, with orchestra composer  
Columbia (U.K.) WLX225 12-in. 2/22/1928 Theme & variation Pierre Dupont ; Musique de la Garde Republicaine Band composer  
Columbia (U.K.) WLX226 12-in. 2/22/1928 Scene et pas des deux pigeons Pierre Dupont ; Musique de la Garde Republicaine Band composer  
(Results 51-75 of 96 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Messager, André," accessed April 25, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103767.

Messager, André. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 25, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103767.

"Messager, André." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 25 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103767

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