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Scan 149
Grove's Dictionary of music and musicians, 1927
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1DUIFFOPRUGCAR
3Her son (2) Gustave (Paris, 1782–1826), a pianist and pupil of Berton, obtained the second Prix de Rome at the Conservatoire in 1806. His operas and ballets, with the exception of 'Aline' (1823), did not succeed.
5G. C. and M. L. P.
7BIBL.—Fétis. A. Pouglin, Figures d'Opéra-comique (1875); Campardon, Les Comédiens du roi de la troupe italienne (1880).
9DUIFFOPRUGCAR, GASPARD (b. circa 1514; d. circa 1570), musical instrument-maker. A native of Bavaria, he is said to have attracted the notice of François I. and to have been persuaded by him to settle in Paris. He seems, however, to have worked continuously at Lyons. His viols were remarkable for their elaborate inlaid work. A notable example of his work is a bass-viol, now belonging to the Brussels Conservatoire, on the back of which is a plan of the city of Paris made of different coloured inlaid woods. This instrument belonged early in the 19th century to J. B. Vuillaume (q.v.) of Paris, who ornamented some of his violins and violoncellos with inlaid work after the manner of Duiffoprugcar's viols. It is sometimes stated that Gaspard Duiffoprugcar made violins, but this is an error. After his death the business was carried on for some years by his son John and other members of the family. A portrait of Gaspard was engraved at Lyons by Pierre Woeiriot and published in 1562.
11E. H. F.
13DUKAS, PAUL (b. Paris, Oct. 1, 1865), one of the most distinguished of the present generation of French composers.
15He entered the Conservatoire in 1882, and was a pupil of Mathias, Th. Dubois and Ernest Guiraud. He gained a second Grand Prix de Rome, for his cantata 'Velléda.' At that time he had already composed two overtures, 'King Lear' and 'Götz von Berlichingen,' which remained unpublished. These were followed, after a period of fruitful study, by other works, melodies, choruses, symphonic and dramatic sketches, all unpublished.
17In 1892 an overture to 'Polyeucte' was performed at one of the Lamoureux concerts. This work interpreted in a remarkable way the poetic substance of Corneille's tragedy. The influence of Wagner, so understandable at that period, could not obscure Dukas's striking qualities of delicacy. These qualities had already attracted the attention of the discriminating, and led them to consider Dukas as one of the young French musicians for whom a great future was in store.
19There followed in 1896 the symphony in C major, conducted at the concerts of the Opéra in Paris by Paul Vidal, to whom it was dedicated. It is distinguished by a youthful ardour, which does not exclude a style of lofty feeling and a strong structure, in which some prolixity of development may be criticised. Without detracting from the charm of the other movements, the andante surpasses them by the quality of its emotion and the finished purity of its style.
21'L'Apprenti sorcier,' the most renowned of Dukas's works, which he conducted in the following year (1897) at the Société Nationale de Musique, was very soon accepted in the concert repertories of all countries. In England, it was played for the first time in May 1899 at the London Musical Festival. It is a symphonic poem in the form of a scherzo, or it may be taken as a comment at will on the mordant Ballad of Goethe; but nevertheless it is a work logically built up, carrying its sense within itself, well worthy, with its ironic rhythm, its furious animation, and its brilliant instrumental writing, to remain as one of the models of a difficult style. In 1901 and 1903 there appeared two works which occupy an important place amongst modern compositions for the piano: the imposing sonata in E flat minor, which carries a hint of Beethoven, and the 'Variations, Interlude and Final' on a theme of Rameau, which has an altogether tender character, enticing, touching, nimble, showing a mastery of traditional forms united with brilliance of writing and depth of personal feeling. The same delicacy of language, the same fullness of poetic sentiment is found again in the shorter pieces composed for special occasions: 'Villanelle' (horn and piano, 1906), for a conference at the Conservatoire; Vocalise (1909), in the second volume of the 'Vocalises-Études,' collected by Hettich in the Leduc edition; 'Prélude élégiaque' (piano, 1909), on the occasion of Haydn's Centenary; 'La Plainte au loin du faune' (piano, 1921), a striking homage to the memory of his friend, Claude Debussy; 'Sonnet de Ronsard' (voice and piano, 1924), written for the fourth centenary of the poet, full of subtle and flavoured archaism.
23But it is, without question, in the sphere of dramatic music that Dukas has given so far the most complete expression to his art. After having undertaken the poem and the score of a Hindu drama, 'L'arbre de science,' he put it aside to devote himself altogether to a piece which Maurice Maeterlinck had conceived with him in view, 'Ariane et Barbe-Bleue.' This is a lyrical story in three acts (Paris, Opéra-Comique, 1907), which gained a considerable artistic success. Since then, the work has been performed at Milan, New York, Vienna, Madrid, Nice, Frankfort, Turin, Bologna, Trieste, Buenos-Aires, Zürich and Bâle. An English translation of the score has been published (Durand). The character of Ariane symbolises the liberating pity which struggles against the enslavement and feebleness of humanity, and which endeavours to educate towards a higher consciousness those souls which are not yet sufficiently developed to understand its signifi-
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