Louis Gregh


Louis Charles Félix François Gregh was a French composer, conductor and music publisher.

Life

Gregh was born in Philippeville, now Skikda, Algeria, on 16 March 1843. His family was of Maltese origin. As a composer, he wrote operettas, ballets, numerous popular songs, and over 150 works for piano for two, four, and six hands.
Gregh's first successful stage work was the operetta Un Lycée de jeunes filles which premiered at the Théâtre de Cluny on 28 December 1881 with Gregh conducting. This was followed by the opera bouffe Le Présomptif which was premiered at the Royal Saint-Hubert Galleries in Brussels on 12 December 1883 followed by a staging at the Théâtre de la Renaissance in Paris in 1884.
He died in Sainte Mesme, Seine-et-Oise, now Yvelines, aged 71.
His son Fernand Gregh was a philosopher, literary critic and poet, member of the Académie française.

Publishing business

Gregh registered as a music publisher with SACEM in February 1873 after having bought the catalogue of the Parisian publisher Claude Heu. He grew by acquiring, by auction, parts of the dissolved publishers Léon Escudier, Egrot, and Jochem. He was also the French representative of the publishers Litolff and Universal Edition. His business was quite successful, and he only gave up in old age in 1907, when he sold it to Rouart, which in turn was taken over by Salabert in 1953.

Selected compositions

Stage worksUn Lycée de jeunes filles Le Présomptif Le Capitaine Roland Arlette
Vocal musicLe Bon pasteur La Cage du pinson Je n'ai rien osé lui dire. Récit-naïveté La Leçon de charité Lettre d'une pensionnaire Minuit à Venise. Barcarola La Plainte de l'exilé Les Roses mortes Connaissez-vous mon amie? Le Pays du bon vin En troïka! L'Étoile de la France Fatma. Réponse à la Ballade arabe L'Immensité
Piano musicDanse slave, Op. 1En poste. Grand galop di bravura, Op. 2Chanson béarnaise, Op. 3Le Chant du Séraphin, Op. 4 Les Bergers-Watteau, Op. 51ère Mazurka de salon, Op. 6Grand marche solennelle, Op. 7 Les Joyeux papillons. Capriccio, Op. 8 Élégie-Étude, Op. 9Élégie-Pastorale, Op. 10Les Farfadets. Scherzo galop, Op. 11Pastorale Louis XV, Op. 12 Le Retour des moissonneurs, Op. 13 Perles et Fleurs. 2eme Mazurka brillante du salon, Op. 14L'Immensité. Suite de valses, Op. 15Rêverie, Op. 16Le Chant du souvenir, Op. 17L'Oiseau moqueur, Op. 18Les Phalènes, Op. 19La Mandoline, Op. 20Au petit trot, Op. 21Aida grande marche, transcription, Op. 22Bergerette. Pastorale Florian, Op. 23Grande valse romantique, Op. 24Les Noces d'or, Op. 25La Gaditana, Op. 26Promenade matinale, Op. 27Matinée de mai. Caprice, Op. 28Parais à ta fenêtre! Sérénade, Op. 29Coquetterie. Air de ballet, Op. 30Valse de Salon No. 4, Op. 35Je pense à vous. Valse, Op. 42Répose, Op. 53Fête printanière, Op. 67Avant-printemps, Op. 96Nuits algériennes, Op. 98Voyages en rêve, Op. 108Dora. Polka brillante
  • ''Études de mécanisme et d'expression''