Emile Pessard

Biography

Émile Louis Fortuné Pessard (29 May 1843 – 10 February 1917) was a French composer.
Pessard was born and died in Paris. He studied at the Conservatoire de Paris, where he won 1st prize in Harmony. In 1866 he won the Grand Prix de Rome with his cantata Dalila which was performed at the Paris Opera on 21 February 1867. From 1878 to 1880 he was inspector of singing at Paris Schools, in 1881 he became professor of Harmony at the Paris Conservatory.
His students included Maurice Ravel, Jacques Ibert, William Molard, Albert Seitz and Justin Élie. After 1895 he was a critic and director. He composed many comic operas and operettas, as well as masses.

Recordings

Émile Pessard - Vingt-cinq pièces pour le piano. Olivier Godin. XXI-21 Productions. 2011
2 songs on collection: L’invitation au voyage Mélodies from La belle époque : Le spectre de la rose (Théophile Gautier), Oh! quand je dors (Victor Hugo). John Mark Ainsley (tenor) Graham Johnson (pianist). Hyperion Records
Dans la Forêt, Op. 130 on album Chant d'Automne Forgotten Treasures Vol. 6 Ulrich Hubner (horn) Kolner Akademie, Michael Alexander Willens
One song on collection: L'adieu de matin, from Cinq Mélodies; rec. Richard Crooks (tenor) on RCA Victor, 1940; on collection Richard Crooks in Songs and Ballads (Nimbus Records)
Petite Messe brève, op.62, for one or two voces and organ : Maîtrise d'Enfants Notre-Dame de Brive ; soloists : Virginie Verrez, Alice Imbert ; choir director : Christophe Loiseleur des Longchamps. Recorded in Gramat (Lot), with Junck organ. June 2004. Studio création n°200402.