Édouard Colonne facts for kids
Édouard Colonne (born July 23, 1838, died March 28, 1910) was a famous French conductor and violinist. He was known for supporting the music of Hector Berlioz and other great composers from the 1800s.
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Life and Career
Édouard Colonne was born in Bordeaux, France. His family loved music; both his father and grandfather were musicians. He started playing music very young. From age eight, he played the flageolet and accordion. Later, he began to study the violin.
In 1855, Colonne started studying at the Paris Conservatory. He won top awards for both harmony and violin playing. For nearly ten years (1858–1867), he was the main violinist at the Paris Opera. He also played second violin in a group called the Lamoureux Quartet. In 1871, he led concerts at the Grand-Hôtel. He also directed music by Jules Massenet for a play in 1873.
Founding the Concerts Colonne
In 1873, Colonne started a new concert series. He worked with a music publisher named Georges Hartmann. They called their concerts the "Concert National" and held them at the Odéon Theatre. Two years later, the concerts moved to the Théâtre du Châtelet. The name changed to 'L'Association Artistique du Châtelet'. Eventually, these performances became very famous as the Concerts Colonne. This name was used for many years, even until the 1960s.
Supporting New Music
Colonne met the Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in Paris in 1878. Colonne was the first to perform Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony in Paris. They stayed in touch, and Colonne even traveled to Russia to conduct concerts there.
Colonne was especially known for his love of Berlioz's music. At that time, Berlioz was more popular in English and German-speaking countries than in France. Colonne helped change this. He made sure Berlioz's music was heard and appreciated in France. For example, when Pierre Monteux joined Colonne's orchestra in 1890, he learned Berlioz's music directly from Colonne. Monteux later used Colonne's notes to record Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique.
Colonne also strongly supported the music of other important composers. These included Richard Wagner, Gustav Mahler, and Camille Saint-Saëns. He was also the first to add helpful notes about the music into concert programs.
Early Recordings
Colonne made another important contribution to music. He was one of the first famous conductors to make commercial phonograph records. He recorded for the French Pathé company. His earliest recordings were on wax cylinders, but none of these have survived. However, a later group of recordings from around 1906 was released on Pathé discs. These recordings have been updated and re-released on CD. They include music from composers like Beethoven and Widor. You can even hear Colonne's voice making announcements on some of them!
Colonne's second wife was a singer named Elise Vergin. Édouard Colonne passed away in Paris at the age of 71.
See also
In Spanish: Édouard Colonne para niños
