Paul Lacombe (composer)

Paul Lacombe was born in Carcassonne into a wealthy family of linen merchants. Initial music lessons were at the piano with his mother and he later studied voice, fugue, harmony and counterpoint with François Teysseyre[1] (1821–1887), an alumnus of the Conservatoire de Paris who opened the first music school in Carcassonne in 1851.[2][3][4]

Lacombe was an admirer of the music of Georges Bizet, particularly the opera The Pearl Fishers. In 1866 he began a correspondence with Bizet and asked him to help with his composition. Bizet accepted, and for two years, from 1866 to 1868, compositional advice and corrections were exchanged via post. A real friendship developed between the two as Bizet realized the enthusiasm of his student.[3] In 1871, Lacombe was a founding member of the Société Nationale de Musique. Bizet promoted Lacombe's music among his Parisian peers, and was responsible for a performance of Lacombe's Violin Sonata, Op. 8, by Pablo de Sarasate and Élie-Miriam Delaborde. Having shown excellent compositional control in a study for quartet, Bizet wrote to Lacombe in 1867 encouraging him to write a symphonic work. Lacombe produced the Ouverture symphonique, Op. 22, which was premiered in 1876, a performance Bizet never heard due to his untimely death the previous year.[3] Lacombe went on to write Suite pastorale, Op. 31 (1878), a work praised by Édouard Lalo, and two Prix-de-la-société-des-compositeurs-winning symphonies: No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 30 (1879) and No. 3 in A, Op. 48 (1887). Due to efforts made by Bizet, his music was played regularly at the Concerts Colonne and Pasdeloup.[3]

Though Lacombe's music was well appreciated among fellow composers and musicians, it never gained a widespread popularity as he was not willing to leave his hometown of Carcassonne for Paris.[3] A prolific composer with more than 150 works, his only significant popular success came in 1890 with the Aubade printanière, Op. 37. Throughout he retained a sense of classical form and melody, but explored contemporary (i.e. Impressionistic) harmonies in his later works.[5] His compositional style presents, aside from its clean and solid craftsmanship, an amiable and appealing character, but with no particular originality.[4] In addition to symphonic works, Lacombe composed a large volume of piano music, concertante works, chamber music and some 120 songs, many of which remain in manuscript.[4] Recordings of his three piano trios, and the Méditation pour violon et piano, Op 124 of 1906, were released on the Dutton Epoch label in 2021.[6]

In 1901, Lacombe was appointed under the sponsorship of Camille Saint-Saëns to the Académie des Beaux-Arts, who awarded him the Prix Chartier for his chamber music in 1887. He was made a Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur in 1902.[3]

Lacombe died in Carcassonne in 1927. In 1929, the city erected a monument in his memory on the street that bears his name, and honored him in June 1984 through a major exhibition and concert.

Paul Lacombe has sometimes been confused with fellow composer Paul Lacôme d'Estalenx (1838–1920).[7] Some of Lacôme's scores, including in operettas La fille de l'air and Les quatre filles Aymon, were published as composed by "Paul Lacombe".

Orchestral

• Ouverture symphonique, Op. 22 (1876)
• Symphony No. 1 in B♭ minor, Op. 30 (1879); awarded Prix de la Société des compositeurs in 1879
• Suite pastorale, Op. 31 (1878)
• Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 34 (1882)
• Ouverture dramatique
• Aubade printanière, Op. 37 (1884)
• Sérénade catalane, Op. 39 (published 1890)
• Intermède-Gavotte, Op. 43 (1880)
• Ronde languedocienne for chamber orchestra, Op. 44 (1884); also for piano
• Sérénade d'automne for string orchestra, Op. 47 (1887)
• Symphony No. 3 in A, Op. 48 (1887); awarded Prix de la Société des compositeurs in 1887
• Scène au camp, Op. 49 (1886)
• Marche élégiaque, Op. 50 (1892)
• Parade hongroise, Op. 53 (1892); also for piano
• Promenade sous bois, Op. 54 (1892); also for piano
• Aubade aux mariés, Op. 56 (1892)
• Chanson gasconne, Op. 60 (1893); also for piano
• Sous le balcon (Beneath the Balcony), Sérénade for chamber orchestra, Op. 62 (1893)
• Printemps joyeux, Op. 67; also for piano
• Ballade: Impressions d'avril (1895)
• Intermède for string orchestra, Op. 74 (1895)
• Sous les étoiles, Marche-Nocturne for chamber orchestra, Op. 78 (1896); also for piano
• Rapsodie sur des airs du pays d'Oc in E major, Op. 128 (1906)
• Dernière aubade, Op. 137 (1910); also for piano
• Marche dernière, Op. 150 (1918)
• Dialogue sentimental, Op. 151 (1917); also for piano
• Cortège religieux in E major

Concertante

• Divertissement for piano and orchestra, Op. 40 (1885); awarded Prix de la Société des compositeurs in 1885
• Sérénade d'automne for flute, oboe, string orchestra and horn (ad libitum), Op. 47 (1891)
• Rapsodie for violin and orchestra, Op. 51 (1891); also for violin and piano
• Suite for piano and orchestra, Op. 52 (1896)
• L'amour for cello and chamber orchestra, Op. 77
• Concerto en ré for piano and orchestra
• Concerto No. 2 for piano and orchestra

Chamber music

• Sonata No. 1 in A minor for violin and piano, Op. 8 (1868)
• 3 Morceaux de fantaisie for cello and piano, Op. 10
• Piano Trio No. 1 in G major, Op. 12 (1870)
• 4 Morceaux for violin and piano, Op. 14
• Sonata No. 2 in F minor for violin and piano, Op. 17 (c.1873)
• 3 Airs de ballet for violin or cello and piano
• Rapsodie for violin and piano (or orchestra), Op. 51 (1891)
• Berceuse for violin and piano, Op. 77 (1895)
• Suite No. 2, 4 Morceaux for violin and piano, Op. 88 (1897)
• Piano Trio No. 2, Op. 90 (1898)
• Sérénade humoristique, Trio for violin, cello and piano, Op. 93 (1898)
• Sonata No. 3 for violin and piano, Op. 98
• Sonata for cello and piano, Op. 100 (1902)
• Piano Quartet in C minor, Op. 101 (1904)
• 6 Pièces for violin and piano, Op. 107
• Méditation for violin and piano, Op. 124 (1906)
• Aubade à Ninon for violin and piano, Op. 125
• Morceau de fantaisie in D major for viola and piano, Op. 133 (1909)
• Piano Trio No. 3 in A minor, Op. 134 (1909)
• Chanson d'Espagne for cello and piano, Op. 142

Piano

• Remembrance, Op. 3
• Absence et retour, 2 Romances sans paroles, Op. 5
• 5 Morceaux caractéristiques, Op. 7 (1966)
• 4 Pièces for piano 4-hands, Op. 9 (1869)
• 2 Idylles: Caprice chromatique et gavotte, Op. 11 (1869)
• Nocturne et Impromptu, Op. 13
• Suite No. 1 in A minor, Op. 15
• Arabesques, Op. 16
• Études en forme de variations, Op. 18 (1875)
• Caprice-Polka in E♭ major, Op. 21 (1876)
• 5 Feuilles d'album, Op. 23 (1876)
• Ballade, Op. 24
• 2 Impromptus, Op. 26
• Aquarelles, 4 Pièces faciles, Op. 27
• Esquisses et souvenirs, Fantaisies en forme de valses, Op. 28 (1878)
• Élégies, Op. 32
• 6 Études, Op. 33 (1880)
• 3 Airs de ballet, Op. 35
• Nocturne et valse lent, Op. 36
• Aubade printanière, Op. 37 (1884); also orchestrated
• Intermède de concert, Op. 38 (1887)
• Valse, Op. 41
• Ronde languedocienne, Op. 44 (1884); also orchestrated
• Impromptu No. 4, Op. 46
• Marche élégiaque, Op. 50
• Parade hongroise, Op. 53 (1892); also orchestrated
• Promenade sous bois in F major, Op. 54 (1892); also orchestrated
• Laendler, Op. 55
• Intimités, Op. 57
• Chanson gasconne, Op. 60 (1893); also orchestrated
• 2 Valses, Op. 61
• Suite No. 2, Op. 64 (1894)
• Printemps joyeux, Op. 67; also orchestrated
• Impromptu No. 5, Op. 71
• Danse basque à cinq temps, Op. 72 (1895)
• 2 Pièces, Op. 74 (1895)
• Sous les étoiles, Marche-nocturne, Op. 78 (1896); also orchestrated
• Pages improvisées, Op. 79 (1896)
• Suite No. 3, Op. 80 (1896)
• Promenade matinale, Op. 81 (1896)
• Toccatina in A major, Op. 85 (1897)
• Adoration, Op. 86
• Valse, Op. 91
• Valse humoresque, Op. 95 (1898)
• Vieux airs (1899)
• Petite valse, Op. 102 (1900)
• Prélude et étude de concert, Op. 105 (1903)
• 4 Études à Francis Planté, Op. 109 (1903)
• Danse d'Aïnhara, Airs du pays basque, Op. 110
• Feuilles volantes, Pièces brèves, Op. 112 (1904)
• 6 Morceaux de danse en forme de mazurka, Op. 114 (1905)
• Impromptu No. 6, Op. 118
• Suite de valses, Op. 120 (1906)
• 2 Romances sans paroles, Op. 126
• Aria et sarabande, Op. 130
• Dernière aubade, Op. 137 (1910); also orchestrated
• Petits préludes, Op. 140 (1911)
• Marche dernière, Op. 150 (1917)
• Dialogue sentimental, Op. 151 (1917); also orchestrated
• Impromptu No. 7
• Petite suite (1921)

Vocal

• Les crépuscules for voice and piano; words by Charles Fuster (1866–1929)
• Bruyère jolie for voice and piano (1894); words by J. Dejean
• Les ailes du rêve for voice and piano (1897); words by Charles Fuster
• La chanson des cigales, Petits poèmes chantés for 3 female voices; words by Marguerite de Baure
• Nuit d'été, Duo for soprano and mezzo-soprano (1902); words by Marguerite de Baure
• Aubade for voice and piano; words by Jean Lahor
• Aubade printanière for voice and piano

• Paul Lacombe website: Société des Amis de Paul Lacombe (in French)
• Fétis, François-Joseph (1880). Biographie universelle des musiciens et bibliographie générale de la musique, Supplément et Complément, Tome 2. Paris: Firmin-Didot et Cie. p. 58. (in French)
• Martial Andrieu (2013). Paul Lacombe, le testament musical d'un grand symphoniste français. Musique et patrimoine.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Paul Lacombe (composer).

• Paul Lacombe website: Société des Amis de Paul Lacombe (in French)
• Free scores by Paul Lacombe (composer) at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)