Hedwige Chrétien

Biography

Hedwige (Gennaro)-Chrétien (5 July 1859 – 4 April 1944) was a French composer.

Life

Born in Compiègne, Chrétien was appointed professor at the Paris Conservatoire in 1889 where she had previously been a student from 1874, studying with Ernest Guiraud. In 1881, she won first prize in harmony, counterpoint and fugue. She also won first prize in piano and in composition in other concours, which she entered. She was a prolific composer, yet not much else is known about her life. Her compositions, about 150 in all, consist of pieces for piano, orchestral and chamber works, songs, two ballets and two one-act operas.
One of the most extensive collections of her work in the United States is held in the University of Michigan's Women Composers Collection, which is available on microfilm from there and other libraries.

Ballets

Ballet orientale, ballet
La Valée des sphinx, ballet in two acts

Chamber works

Berceuse (violin)
Grand solo (Andante et Allegro) (1886) (trombone)
In memoriam (1934) (violoncello and organ)
Lied 'Soir d'Automne' (cello and piano)
Poème lyrique (1886) (competitive examination winner for Société des compositeurs de musique)
Quintette (Arabesque et Sarabande) (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and horn)
Serenade sous bois (trio for flute, oboe and piano)
Trio pour violon, violoncello and piano (Allegro con fuoco, Andante expressivo, Scherzo)

Choral

Les Ailes du rêve!
L'Angelus
Août, words by Horace Hennion from Mois, Mixed choir SATB
Ballade
L'Été
La Madone des champs (3 voices)
Les Matelots
Le Moulin
Nos Soldats, scène lyrique, bass and tenor soloists and choir SATB, with orchestra
Pensée fugitive
Sur la Falaise, words by Paul Bourget, children's choir SA

Opera

La Cinquantaine, opérette pour jeunes filles
Menuet de l'Impératrice, opérette pour jeunes filles

Orchestral

Belle époque (1887) (chamber orchestra)
Danse Rustique (orchestral)
L'Escarpolette, waltz for orchestra
Fleur de Lande, ronde Bretonne (orchestral)
Pastels (orchestral)

Organ and/or harmonium

1908 [no title] in Echos jubilaires des maîtres de l'orgue (Arras : Procure générale de musique religieuse). Reprinted 1929.
1920 Harmonies religieuses : pièces [...] à l'usage du service divin (Paris : Procure générale, Paris)
1920 Inspirations religieuses. Pièces [...] à l'usage du service divin (Vol. 4.): 'Andante religioso'; 'Vision céleste'; 'Andante con moto'; 'Elévation'; 'Communion'; 'Prière à la madone'. NB with a biographical sketch by H. Delépine. (Paris : Procure générale de musique religieuse)
1924 Six pièces brèves (Paris : Procure générale de musique religieuse)
1930 Trois pièces: 'Andante religioso'; 'Elévation'; 'Marche religieuse' (Paris : Procure générale de musique religieuse)
1932 Parfums d'encens. Pièces [...] dans l'esprit grégorien, à l'usage de l'office divin. Vol.1. (Paris : Procure générale de musique religieuse)
1934 'Communion' in Trois noëls anciens (Saint Leu-la-Forêt : Procure générale de musique religieuse)
1990 Premier album du jeune organiste : Pièces très faciles doigtées et progressives (Bole : Ed. Musicales de la Schola Cantorum et de la Procure Générale de Musique.
(?) Cinq pièces brèves (organ)
(?) Marche funèbre (organ)

Organ (or piano) with other instruments

1934 In memoriam: with saxophone or violoncello (Paris : L. Jacquot)

Piano

Ariel caprice fantastique
Au village. Le moulin, scènes pastorales
Chansons du rouet
En cheminant, ritournelle pour piano
Farandole
Fleur de landes, ronde bretonne
Naïades
Les Papillons, valse de salon
Polichinelles roses
Pour endormir Yvonne, berceuse (lullaby) by H. Pommier arranged for piano by Hedwige Chrétien.
Qui vive!?, morceau de genre
Rataboul (1905) (polka for piano)
Romance sans paroles
Scherzo-valse
La Source
Speranza, valse lente
Tarentelle, pour piano à 4 mains, piano four hands
Trilby
Valse berceuse
Valse-caprice
Valse des libellules
Sonatines
No.1: Pastorale
No.2: Dès l'Aurore
No.3: Joyeuse Nouvelle

Vocal

(All compositions are for voice and piano unless otherwise noted.)

Aubade, words by P. Ladoué
Aube aux Champs words by Léo Marcel
Baiser errants, words by L. Fortolis
Ballade, de s'amye bien belle, words by Clément Marot (1527)
Bébés et grand'mamans
Bien-Aimés, words by Charles Giugno
Canzonetta, words by Pierre Ladoué
Caprice de troubadour, words by Gaston Petit
C'est si peu de chose
Chanson des pêcheurs de lune, Barcarolle à deux voix (duet), words by L. Fortolis
Chanson pur la Bien-Aimée, words by Charles Fuster
Chant d'amour
Dernier rêve!, words by L. Fortolis
Duetto-Barcarolle, words by Eduard Guinand
Feux follets, words by L. Fortolis
La chanson bénie, words by Léon Dierx
La Jeanneton, words by J. Lafforgue
La Nuit, words by R. Elgé, two voices, violin and piano
La Vieille fontaine, words by Pierre Alin
Là-bas!, chanson Bohémienne, words by Léo Marcel
Le Calme, words by A. Dorchain, Voice, piano and violin obligato
Le Cavalier, words by Léo Marcel (Légende fantastique)
Le coeur de mira, extrait des chansons moraves, words by L. Fortolis
Le Cor, words by Alfred de Vigny
Le Rouet sur le clavecin, words by Raymond Philippon
Les Ailes du Rêve, words by Charles Fuster
Les rêves, words by A. Dréville
L'Étoile, with piano and violin
Lumière de l'âme, words by Madame Galeron de Calonne
Mademoiselle bébé, à grand-papa, words by J. Morin
Mirage-Habanera, words by Eduard Guinand
Mon Ruisseau, poésie de J. Lafforgue
Musique au bord de la Mer, poésie de Dorchais, adaption with violin
Noël naïf
Point d'orgue du menuet, inspired by a painting by Watteau, words by Léo Marcel
Pour ceux qui aiment, words by Aymé Magnien, Voice, piano and violin obligato
Pour nos soldats, prière. words and music by Hedwige Chrétien
Prière, words by Lamartine, with violin
Prismes lunaires, words by L. Fortolis,
Quand tu pleureras , words by Léo Marcel
Que je t'oublie!? (1897), words by Léo Marcel
Reliques, words by J. Lafforgue
Ronde champêtre
Ronde d'amour, words by Jules Lafforgue
Silhouettes fantasques/Clair de lune, words by Marguerite Bracks
Sur la route d'Alcala, Voice and orchestra
Votre sourire, words by Eva Jouan

Recordings

Quintette on Casino Belle Epoque played by Le Concert Impromptu, Verany-Arion/Abeille musique PV 796044 (1996)
Vision played by Gaston Crunelle (flute) and Lucien Petitjean (piano); Gramophone K6999 (recorded 1933)