Charles Poisot


Charles Poisot was a French musician from the second half of the 19th century. A pianist, composer and musicographer, he was also director of the Dijon Conservatory, where he spent his life.

Biography

Charles Poisot was born in Dijon, but his family moved to Paris in 1834. He entered the Conservatoire de Paris in 1844 where he studied piano with Adolphe Adam, counterpoint with Leborne and musical composition with Fromental Halévy until 1848.
In 1850, he composed an Opéra comique in an act, Le Paysan, on a traditional theme mixing nobility and love.
He returned to Dijon in 1852 where he devoted himself to teaching, musicology and composition, continuing his piano interpretations. In 1868, he was appointed Director of the Municipal School of Music, the future, and was elected a member of the Académie des Sciences, Arts et Belles-Lettres de Dijon in 1869. He played an active role in the city's cultural life until his sudden death in his home at 4 Buffon Street at the age of 81.
He had his works performed in the city, gave talks on the glories of Burgundy a campaign to erect a statue in honour of the great Dijon composer of the 18th century for the centenary of his death in 1864. The affair dragged on for a long time and it was only on 12 August 1876 that the model of the sculptor's statue Eugène Guillaume was finally erected on Place de la Sainte-Chapelle and a concert was given at the Grand Théâtre with Camille Saint-Saëns. It was not until 1880 that the model was replaced by the final bronze statue. Charles Poisot collaborated in the publication of Rameau's works and produced numerous arrangements for piano and singing of his operas. He was also involved in the creation of the "Société des Compositeurs de Musique".

Works

His musical work is quite abundant and varied, but it has not left its mark on the history of music. He composed opéras comiques early in his career, religious pieces and many piano pieces, some in collaboration with Joseph O'Kelly.
He also wrote many texts on music, such as his brochure on Burgundian musicians in 1854 or his Histoire de la musique en France, depuis les temps les plus reculés jusqu’à nos jours.

Musicology

  • Dijon 1854, 56 pages.
  • Paris 1860, 384 pages
  • , Dijon 1864, 31 pages.
  • Lecture sur les trois séjours de Mozart à Paris 1873

Texts on regional themes

  • Notice on sculptor François Rude, 1856
  • Notice on Charles Brifaut 1859
  • De Dijon à Rome et à Naples, notes de voyage d'un musicien lues à l'Académie de Dijon, 1875

Compositions

Opéras comiques

  • Le Paysan, 1-act opéra comique, 1850
  • Les Terreurs de M. Peters, opéra de salon, 1856

Religious works

  • Agnus Dei for tenor and barytone. 1855
  • Paraphrase du Stabat Mater: for Soli and choir with organ accompaniment
  • Le Christ. Three-part Oratorio . Texts from the Gospels, 1882
  • Ave Maria pour mezzo-soprano, 1883
  • Caecilia, légende sacrée, 1888
  • L'Apôtre Saint Jean, third oratorio. Texts from Revelation. 1895

Songs

Piano music

  • Fleur de mai, mazurka, 1875
  • and many other

Arrangements

Les Indes galantes: heroic ballet in 4 concerts and 1 new entry by Jean-Philippe Rameau; reconstituted and reduced score for piano and vocals by Jean Philippe Rameau. Charles Poisot, after the original 1735 scored
  • Hippolyte et Aricie: lyrical tragedy in 5 acts & a prologue of Rameau; Reconstructed and reduced for piano and vocals by Charles Poisot. Zoroastre: 5-act lyrical tragedy by Rameau; reconstituted and reduced for piano and vocals by Rameau Charles Poisot.
  • Platée ou Junon jalouse: ballet comedy in 3 acts and a prologue by Rameau; Reconstructed and reduced for piano and vocals by Charles Poisot.