Adrien Barthe

Pianist, organist and composer. Born: 1828 Died: 1898 Adrien Barthe (1828-1898), a pseudonym for Grat-Norbert Barthe began his music studies thanks to his father who was an organist. Adrien Barthe had piano and composition lessons and eventually became a student of Fernand Leborne at the Paris conservatoire. He became pianist and organist and in 1854 he obtained the first Prix de Rome with his cantata Francesca de Rimini. When Maecenas Édouard Rodrigues organised a competition for sacred music in 1858 he competed against Georges Bizet and his oratoro Judith won first prize. Also his opera Don Carlos won acclaim. After his return from working for three years in Rome, Barthe attempted to work in the theatre, but to no avail until 1864, when his opera La Fiancée d'Abydos won first prize in another competition. It was subsequently staged at the Theater-Lyrique in 1865 but never attained a place in the repertoire. Shortly thereafter Barthe decided to abandon his career as a composer. He took up a career as a teacher and professor for harmony at Paris conservatoire from 1881 until 1898 and wrote a text book about composition. He also wrote an Aubade for wind quintet and Six pièces for oboe and piano. He was a close friend to Hector Berlioz and his wife, Anna Angelina Bandérali was executor of the will of Berlioz. Most of his music is kept in the Adrien Barthe Collection in the Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester.