Yves Gérard facts for kids

Yves-René-Jean Gérard (born January 6, 1932 – died October 6, 2020) was a French musicologist. A musicologist is like a detective who studies music history. They research, write about, and understand music from different times and places. Gérard was especially known for his deep studies of composers like Luigi Boccherini and Camille Saint-Saëns.

Who Was Yves Gérard?

Yves Gérard was born on January 6, 1932, in a town called Châlons-sur-Marne, France. He grew up to become a very important person in the world of music. He spent his life learning about music, teaching others, and writing books about famous composers.

His Journey in Education

Yves Gérard started his studies at Nancy-Université from 1949 to 1955. There, he focused on philosophy, which is the study of big ideas about life and knowledge. After that, he spent three years learning to play the piano at the Nancy Conservatory. A conservatory is a special school for music.

Later, he moved to Paris to study at the Sorbonne, a famous university. He learned from a well-known composer and music expert named Jacques Chailley. He also studied at the Conservatoire de Paris, another top music school. There, he learned about music history and how music makes us feel (aesthetics). He was very good at his studies, winning first prize for music history in 1956 and for aesthetics in 1958.

Teaching and Leading in Music

In 1975, Yves Gérard became a professor at the Conservatoire de Paris. He took over from his own teacher, Norbert Dufourcq. He taught music history and musicology until he retired in 1997.

Besides teaching, Gérard also held important positions in the music world. From 1979 to 1982, he was the president of the Société Française de Musicologie, which is a group for French musicologists. He also represented France in the International Musicological Society from 1982 to 1992. He even taught as a visiting professor at Laval University in Canada and the University of Maryland in the United States.

His Important Music Research

Yves Gérard was famous for his detailed studies of two composers: Luigi Boccherini and Camille Saint-Saëns. He also explored chamber music from the late 1700s in Italy, Spain, and Austria. Chamber music is played by a small group of instruments. He also studied French music from the 1700s, 1800s, and 1900s.

The Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, a very important music encyclopedia, says that his biggest work was on the writings of Hector Berlioz. Berlioz was another famous French composer. In 1983, Gérard helped edit a book of Berlioz's letters. In 1996, he also helped edit a book of Berlioz's music reviews.

Yves Gérard passed away from cancer on October 6, 2020, when he was 88 years old.

His Writings and Edited Works

Yves Gérard wrote many articles and books about music. He also helped edit the works of other famous musicians.

Selected Articles and Books

• "L'Art pour la beauté: Samson et Dalila de Saint-Saëns" (1991): This article was about Saint-Saëns's opera Samson and Delilah.
• "La Bibliothèque musicale d'un amateur éclairé de Madrid" (1963): This looked at the music collection of a Spanish duchess.
• "Luigi Boccherini" (1971): A detailed section about Boccherini in a big music catalog.
• "Luigi Boccherini and Madame Sophie Gail" (1967): This explored the connection between Boccherini and another musician.
• "Notes sur la fabrication de la viole de gambe" (1961–62): This article discussed how a viole de gambe (an old string instrument) was made.
• "L'œuvre de Saint-Saëns: éclats et ombres de la célébrité" (1991): This talked about Saint-Saëns's works and his fame.
• "Le Rossignol: le paradoxe des codes détournés" (1997): An article about the opera The Nightingale.
• "Saint-Saëns et l'Opéra de Monte-Carlo" (1990): This explored Saint-Saëns's connection to the Monte-Carlo Opera.
• Thematic, Bibliographical and Critical Catalogue of the Works of Luigi Boccherini (1969): This was a very important book that listed and described all of Boccherini's music.

Books He Edited

• C. Saint-Saëns: regards sur mes contemporains (1990): A book of Saint-Saëns's thoughts on other artists.
• Le Conservatoire de Paris, 1795–1995 (1996): A history of the Paris Conservatory, which he co-edited.
• Hector Berlioz: correspondance générale, volume 4 (1983): A collection of Berlioz's letters, which he co-edited.
• Hector Berlioz: la critique musicale, 1823–1863 (1996–): A collection of Berlioz's music reviews, which he co-edited.
• "Lettres de Henri Duparc à Ernest Chausson" (1956): Letters from one composer to another.
• Lettres de compositeurs à Camille Saint-Saëns (2009): Letters sent to Camille Saint-Saëns from other composers.

Musical Editions He Prepared

• Luigi Boccherini: Sei Quintetti con Chitarra (1974): He prepared this edition of Boccherini's music for guitar and other instruments.