Napoléon Coste


Claude Antoine Jean Georges Napoléon Coste was a French classical guitarist and composer.

Biography

Napoléon Coste was born in Amondans, near Besançon, France. He was first taught the guitar by his mother, an accomplished player. As a teenager he became a teacher of the instrument and appeared in three concerts in the Franche-Comté. In 1829, at the age of 24, he moved to Paris where he studied under Fernando Sor and quickly established himself as the leading French virtuoso guitarist.
Despite declining demand in Paris for guitarists during the years after he arrived, Coste achieved financial stability as a professional musician and composer. Unable to find a publisher, he had to self-publish his works. Napoléon Coste was influenced by the Early Classical-Romantic composers of the time including Hector Berlioz. Coste's Opus no.47, La Source du Lyson is inspired by nature much like Berlioz's program music.
Coste injured his left shoulder in 1863, though was able to continue public performances until 1881, two years before his death. After Sor's death, Coste edited and republished Sor's original method for guitar as Méthode complète pour la Guitare par Ferdinand Sor, rédigée et augmentée de nombreux exemples et leçons par N. Coste.
Coste was a member of the masonic lodge Les Frères Unis Inséparables.
Coste had a special fondness for playing the seven string guitar. He was famous for his unique seven string guitar with a “floating” 7th string typically tuned to D or C called the Lacôte Heptachord. Tonally this invention created more depth when played as the floating string would vibrate sympathetically even as the other strings were plucked.
He is known as one of the first composers to transcribe guitar music of the 17th century into modern musical notation. He died at age 77, leaving a significant catalogue of original compositions.

List of works

Works published with opus numbers

  • Op. 2: Variations et Finale... sur un motif favori de la Famille Suisse de Weigl
  • Op. 3: 2 Quadrilles de contredanses
  • Op. 4: Fantasie... composée sur un motif du 'Ballet d'Armide
  • Op. 5: Souvenirs de Flandres
  • Op. 6: Fantaisie de concert
  • Op. 7: 16 Valses favorites de Johann Strauss
  • Op. 9: Divertissement sur 'Lucia di Lammermoor
  • Op. 10: Scherzo et pastorale
  • Op. 11: Grand caprice
  • Op. 12: Rondeau de concert
  • Op. 13: Caprice sur … La Cachucha
  • Op. 14: Deuxième Polonaise
  • Op. 15: Le Tournoi fantaisie chevaleresque
  • Op. 16: Fantaisie sur deux motifs de la 'Norma'
  • Op. 17: La Vallée d'Ornans
  • Op. 18: Les Bords du Rhin
  • Op. 19: Delfzil
  • Op. 19b: La Romanesca
  • Op. 20: Le Zuyderzée
  • Op. 21: Les Cloches
  • Op. 22: Meulan
  • Op. 23: Les Soirées d'Auteuil
  • Op. 24: Grand solo
  • Op. 25: Romance pour hautbois et piano
  • Op. 27: Le Passage des Alpes
  • Op. 28b: Fantaisie symphonique
  • Op. 29: La Chasse des sylphes
  • Op. 30: Grande sérénade
  • Op. 31: Le Départ, fantaisie dramatique
  • Op. 33: Mazurka
  • Op. 34: Le Montagnard Divertissement Pastoral pour Hautbois ou Violon et Piano ou Guitare
  • Op. 36: Cantilène pour hautbois et piano
  • Op. 37: Cavatine pour hautbois et piano
  • Op. 38: 25 Études de genre
  • Op. 39: Andante et menuet
  • Op. 41: Feuilles d'automne
  • Op. 42: La Ronde de Mai
  • Op. 43: Marche funèbre et rondeau
  • Op. 44: Andante et polonaise
  • Op. 45: Divagation
  • Op. 46 Valse Favorite
  • Op. 47: La Source du Lyson
  • Op. 48: Quatre Marches
  • Op. 49: Six Préludes
  • Op. 50: Adagio et divertissements
  • Op. 51: Récréation du Guitariste.
  • Op. 52: Le Livre d'or du guitariste.
  • Op. 53: ''Six Pièces originales ''

    Works without opus numbers

  • Méditation de nuit
  • Andante et allegro
  • Divertissement
  • Introduction et variations sur un motif de Rossini
  • Berceuse
  • Kleines Tonstück
  • Pastorale
  • Valse en ré majeur
  • Valse en la majeur
  • Valse des roses
  • ''Duetto''

    Instruments

  • by Gregg Miner
  • by Bernhard Kresse
  • by Bruno Marlat

    Sheet music

  • Det Kongelige Bibliotek, Denmark
  • The Music Library of Sweden
  • at the Mutopia Project
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