142.126.176.201 at 16:24, 3 June 2025

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{{short description|Belgian conductor}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
[[File:François Ruhlmann par Charles Gir.jpg|thumb|{{center|François Ruhlmann, caricature by [[Charles Gir]]}}]]

'''François Ruhlmann''' (11 January 1868 – 8 June 1948) was a Belgian conductor.

==Life and career==
Born in [[Brussels]], Ruhlmann was a pupil of [[Joseph Dupont (violinist)|Joseph Dupont]] in his native city. As a child he sang in the chorus at the [[Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie]], and at 7 played the oboe in the orchestra.<ref>''Cinquante Ans de Musique Française de 1874 à 1925.'' Les Éditions Musicales de la Librairie de France, Paris, 1925.</ref>

Ruhlmann's first conducting engagement was at the [[Théâtre des Arts (Rouen)|Théâtre des Arts in Rouen]] in 1892. This was followed by further work in [[Liège]] and [[Antwerp]], before a return to the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in 1898.

François Ruhlmann began his career at the [[Opéra-Comique]], Paris on 6 September 1905 (with ''[[Carmen]]''), then on the death of [[Alexandre Luigini]] became principal conductor in 1906 (retiring from the position in 1914). Although mobilised in 1914, he returned occasionally during [[World War I|the war]] to conduct.

From 1911 he conducted at the theatre of the Casino of [[Aix-les-Bains]]. Later he championed works by [[Paul Dukas|Dukas]], [[Claude Debussy|Debussy]], [[Gabriel Fauré|Fauré]] and [[Maurice Ravel|Ravel]] at the Concerts Populaires in Brussels. In 1920 Ruhlmann tried to mediate in a dispute involving the musicians unions in Paris, although he sympathised with the players.<ref>''Cinquante Ans de Musique Française de 1874 à 1925.'' Les Éditions Musicales de la Librairie de France, Paris, 1925.</ref>

In 1919 he moved to the [[Palais Garnier]], where he remained until 1938.

He conducted many operatic premieres:<ref>Wolff S. ''Un demi-siecle d'Opéra-Comique.'' André Bonne, Paris, 1953.</ref>
* ''Les Pêcheurs de Saint Jean'' ([[Charles-Marie Widor|Widor]]) 1905
* ''Les Armaillis'' ([[Gustave Doret|Doret]]) 1906
* ''Le roi aveugle'' (February) 1906
* ''[[Ariane et Barbe-bleue]]'' ([[Paul Dukas|Dukas]]) 1907
* ''Le Chemineau'' ([[Xavier Leroux|Leroux]]) 1907
* ''La Habanéra'' (Laparra) 1908
* ''[[The Snow Maiden]]'' ([[Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov|Rimsky-Korsakov]]) Paris premiere 1908
* ''Chiquito'' ([[Jean Nouguès|Nouguès]]) 1909
* ''On ne badine pas avec l'amour'' (Erlanger) 1910
* ''[[Bérénice (Magnard)|Bérénice]]'' ([[Albéric Magnard|Magnard]]) 1911
* ''L’Ancêtre'' ([[Camille Saint-Saëns|Saint-Saëns]]) Paris premiere 1911
* ''[[L'heure espagnole]]'' (Ravel) 1911
* ''[[Thérèse (opera)|Thérèse]]'' ([[Jules Massenet|Massenet]]) Paris premiere 1911
* ''La sorcière'' (Erlanger) 1912
* ''La Lépreuse'' (Lazzari) 1912
* ''[[La vida breve (opera)|La vida breve]]'' ([[Manuel de Falla|Falla]]) Paris premiere 1913
* ''[[Mârouf, savetier du Caire]]'' ([[Henri Rabaud|Rabaud]]) 1914
* ''Lorenzaccio'' (Moret) 1920
* ''Esther, princesse d'Israël'' ([[Antoine Mariotte|Mariotte]]) 1925

He was long associated with [[Pathé Records|Pathé]], for which he made many recordings, including six complete operas after 1910, including ''[[Rigoletto]]'' (Verdi) on 28 sides; ''[[Faust (opera)|Faust]]'' (Gounod) on 56 sides; and ''[[Le trouvère]]'' (Verdi), 1912 on 38 sides. He also conducted the 1911 Pathé recording of ''[[Carmen]]'' (54 sides).

François Ruhlmann died in Paris at age 80.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Opéra-Comique music directors}}

{{portal|opera|Belgium}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ruhlmann, Francois}}
[[Category:1868 births]]
[[Category:1948 deaths]]
[[Category:Musicians from Brussels]]
[[Category:Belgian conductors (music)]]
[[Category:Belgian male musicians]]
[[Category:Belgian male conductors (music)]]
[[Category:Music directors (opera)]]

François Ruhlmann - Revision history

142.126.176.201 at 16:24, 3 June 2025