View source for Félicien David

{{Short description|French composer (1810–1876)}}
[[File:Félicien-César David.jpg|thumb|[[Woodburytype]] of Félicien David]]

'''Félicien-César David''' (13 April 1810 – 29 August 1876) was a French composer.

==Biography==
Félicien David was born in [[Cadenet]], and began to study music at the age of five under his father, whose death when the boy was six left him an impoverished orphan. His good voice enabled him to study as a choirboy at the Cathedral of Saint-Sauveur in [[Aix-en-Provence]], which he left at the age of 15 with a sound knowledge of music, and a scholarship which enabled him to study literature at a [[Jesuit]] college. However, after three years, he abandoned these studies to pursue a musical career.

He first obtained a position in the orchestra of the theatre at Aix. In 1829, he became ''[[maître de chapelle]]'' at [[Aix Cathedral|Saint-Sauveur]], but realised that to complete his musical education he needed to study at Paris. An allowance of 50 francs per month from a rich uncle made this possible.

[[Image:0Felicien David.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Félicien David in 1858]]

In Paris in 1830 he convinced [[Luigi Cherubini]], the director of the [[Conservatoire de Paris|Conservatoire]], to enroll him as a pupil: despite his reservations, Cherubini recognised the talent shown by David's  choral setting of ''[[Beatus vir]]''. Despite the sudden withdrawal of his uncle's subsidy, David's studies, with [[Fétis]] and others, continued successfully.

On leaving the Conservatoire, David was caught up in the [[Saint-Simonian]] movement, for which he became a great enthusiast. The Saint-Simonians held music to be an important art, and David wrote much music for them, including a number of hymns. After the suppression of the movement in 1832, David joined with a number of adepts who visited the Middle East. This also proved a source of strong inspiration, leading eventually to his greatest success, the symphonic ode ''Le désert'' of 1844.

Returning to Paris in 1833, he wrote a number of ''[[romance (music)|romance]]s'', and instrumental music including three [[symphony|symphonies]] (in F major, E{{music|flat}} major and C minor, composed in 1837, 1838 and 1849);<ref>Cf. the content to this effect on [musicologie.org Musicologie.org].</ref> by 1838/39 he was successful enough to be able to arrange public performances of his works. With ''Le désert'' he was acknowledged by the public and the critics as a significant force. The ''[[Revue et gazette musicale]]'' announced, the morning after its premiere, "A great composer has been born amongst us". To relieve his substantial debts, however, the composer sold the rights to his masterpiece for a relatively small sum.

[[Image:0Felicien David 2.jpg|thumb|upright|David in a Brazilian setting (a reference to his 1851 ''opéra comique'', ''La perle du Brésil'') surrounded by comic allusions to several of his major works, from an undated theatrical illustration (ca. 1860).]]David wrote a number of operas, of which the most notable are  ''Christophe Colomb'' (1847), ''La perle du Brésil'' (1851), ''[[Herculanum (opera)|Herculanum]]'' (1859), and ''[[Lalla-Roukh]]'' (1862). Amongst his oratorios are ''Moïse au Sinaï'' ('Moses on Sinai') (1846), and ''Eden'' (1848).

David became a member of the [[Légion d'honneur]] in 1862 and was given a civil pension. On the death of [[Berlioz]] in 1869, he took his place in the [[Institut de France]]. He died in [[Le Pecq]] (now [[Saint-Germain-en-Laye]]) in the département [[Yvelines]], close to Paris, in 1876.

== Works ==

===Instrumental===
* Piano trio no. 1 in E{{music|flat}} major
* Piano trio no. 2 in D minor 
* Piano trio no. 3 in C minor
* Four string quartets
* Les Quatre Saisons: Soirées de Printemps / d'Été / d'Automne / d'Hiver (string quintet: two violins, viola, cello, double-bass)
* Nonet for brass in C minor, 1839 (4 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, tuba)
* Solo piano: ''Pensée'' (mélodie-valse), ''L'Absence'' (romance sans paroles), ''Rêverie'', ''Le Soir'' (rêverie)
* 4 symphonies (for orchestra) (1837–1849)<ref>[https://www.musicologie.org/Biographies/d/david_felicien.html Musicologie.org]- lists no.3 in E{{music|flat}} as being in E, but there is substantial evidence elsewhere that their key is wrong. No.3 is in E{{music|flat}} major, was published in 1846 by Meissonnier, can be seen in partial manuscript at the Morgan Library & Museum, New York, and was recorded in 2017 by Ediciones Singulares.</ref>

===Vocal===
* ''[[Le désert]]'' (Ode-symphonie)
* ''Christoph Colomb'' (Ode-symphonie)
* ''Moïse au Sinaï'', [[oratorio]] 
* ''Eden'', oratorio
{{Listen|type=music|filename=Ruth Vincent - La perle du Bresil - Charmant oiseau - Columbia-rena-133-lr66.ogg|title= La perle du Brésil: Charmant oiseau|description=This opera performance circa 1905 includes singing by [[Ruth Vincent]] with flute obligato by [[Albert Fransella]] (2:47).|
filename2=PDP-CH - Amelita Galli-Curci, soprano - Clement Barone, flute - La perle du Brésil - Charmant oiseau - David - Lurieu Saint-Etienne - Gramophone-db255-2-033062.flac|title2= La perle du Brésil: Charmant oiseau|description2=This performance in 1917 includes singing by [[Amelita Galli-Curci]] with Clement Barone on flute, and [[Josef Pasternack]] conducting (4:09).}}
* ''[[La Perle du Brésil]]'', [[opéra comique]] in three acts (22 November 1851, Paris)
* ''[[Herculanum (opera)|Herculanum]]'', opéra in four acts (4 March 1859, Paris)
* ''[[Lalla-Roukh]]'', opéra comique in two acts (12 May 1862, Paris)
* ''Le Saphir'', opéra comique in three acts (8 March 1865, Paris) on a libretto by [[Michel Carré]], [[Adolphe de Leuven]] and Térence Hadot (18..-18..)
* ''La Captive'', opéra comique in three acts (1883, Paris)
* Motets ''Pie Jesu'' / ''Miseremini'' / ''Alma redemptoris Mater'' (for Aix cathedral choir), ''O salutaris''

==References==
{{reflist}}
*[http://www.musicologie.org/Biographies/d/david_felicien.html ''David, Félicien-César, 1810-1876''] Biography and list of compositions from Musicology.org (in French).
*This article is based on the [[:fr:Félicien David|article on Félicien David in French Wikipedia]].

==External links==
* {{Cite EB1911|wstitle=David, Félicien|volume=7|pages=860–861}}
* {{Internet Archive author |search=( "Félicien David" OR "David, Félicien" )}}
* {{IMSLP|id=David, Félicien}}
* [http://hdl.handle.net/1802/5130 David's Piano Trio in E-flat Major] Score and Parts from Sibley Music Library Digital Scores Collection
* [http://www.editionsilvertrust.com/music-c-to-d.htm David Piano Trio Nos. 2 and 3, sound-bites, discussion of works, short biography and sheet music]
* [http://www.lamaisondelalirique.com Maison de la lirique cds and DVDs lyric opera collection]

{{Romantic music}}
{{Romanticism|state=collapsed}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:David, Felicien-Cesar}}
[[Category:1810 births]]
[[Category:1876 deaths]]
[[Category:19th-century French classical composers]]
[[Category:Conservatoire de Paris alumni]]
[[Category:French opera composers]]
[[Category:French male opera composers]]
[[Category:French Romantic composers]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Legion of Honour]]
[[Category:Members of the Académie des beaux-arts]]
[[Category:Musicians from Aix-en-Provence]]
[[Category:People from Vaucluse]]
[[Category:Saint-Simonists]]
[[Category:19th-century French male musicians]]
[[Category:French string quartet composers]]