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Scan 148
Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 1927
20 lines. Read by computer on 11 September 2026. Printed page 106. See the scan on archive.org.
1cance. Through the touching humanity of the principal figure, the variety of the successive scenes, the nature of the dialogue, the poem (although lacking the violent coups de théâtre dear to Italian realists) gives a great opportunity to the music. And indeed the music becomes the inspiration of the drama, the soul and being of the work. This music has a clarity and a rare depth, inspired by an emotion which is well balanced throughout. One may call to mind here in the first act the first chorus; the brilliant variations accompanying the rustle of precious stones which fall from the doors opened by Ariane; the striking colour of the underground song, sung by Bluebeard's wives; the sudden apparition of Bluebeard himself: and in the second act, the poignant scene between Ariane and the imprisoned women; their deliverance; their ecstasy before the sudden glow of the daylight; before the beauty of the country and of the sea. Above all, in the third act, after the tragic return of the tyrant, the indescribable eloquence of Ariane's departure, where she sings with such dignity and serenity, with solemn and trembling feeling; whilst the wives, who dare not follow their liberator, choose rather to take up again the daily slavery of their existence. This is a profoundly moving scene, where the loftiness of the thought attains that equilibrium in which an art completely realises its goal of human expression. One recognises something of the spirit of 'Parsifal' recreated by a later technique, by an altogether individual temperament, strengthened by a profound knowledge of classical tradition, and of the most modern musical language, not forgetting that of 'Pelléas et Mélisande,' of which from the first moment Dukas was a convinced admirer.
3The 'Poème dansé' of the 'Péri,' represented in Paris (1912), with the Russian dancer, Mlle. Trouhanova, then at the Opéra, has been played often at concerts. It represents under a new aspect a conception of the relationship between music and dancing which approximates to that in the second version of the Venusberg in 'Tannhäuser.' Inspired by a poetic, oriental legend, preceded by a striking fanfare of horns, the music of the Péri unites once again the deep feeling and ardour of perception with the originality of a form which is always plastic and symphonic, the result of intense poetic feeling. The instrumentation of these works reveals the hand of a master; by turns light, subtle, lustrous, sumptuous, always solid and firmly built up. Thus the virtues of Dukas's spirit and art are maintained at an equal level, and adapt themselves to different subjects.
5Dukas helped C. Saint-Saëns to finish 'Frédégonde,' the uncompleted opera of his master, Guiraud (Paris, 1895), of which he orchestrated the three first acts. He contributed to the modern edition of the works of Rameau (Durand), in re-editing: 'Les Indes galantes,' 'La Princesse de Navarre,' 'Les Fêtes de Ramire,' 'Nélie et Myrthis,' 'Zéphyre.' He revised 'Les Goûts réunis' (Couperin), the 'Essercizi per gravicembalo' (D. Scarlatti), the sonatas for piano, piano and violin, the variations for piano, the concerto for violin, the trios of Beethoven (Durand). He made an arrangement of 'Samson and Delilah' (4 hands), and of the 'Venusberg' music (2 pianos, 4 hands). He is a musical critic of manifest authority, a notable writer; he has contributed to La Revue hebdomadaire (1892–1902), Chronique des Arts (1894–1903); Gazette des Beaux-Arts (1894–1903); and now to the Quotidien. He has also written numerous articles for the Courrier musical and the Revue musicale, proving the uncommon acuteness of his mind and the independence and liberality of his views. He is a member of the Conseil Supérieur of the Conservatoire; inspector of the Beaux-Arts (musical department), and an officer of the Légion d'honneur. He was professor of the orchestral class at the Conservatoire (1910–12). Dukas counts among those musicians of whom to-day France has the greatest reason to be proud.
7BIBLIOGRAPHY
8O. SÉRÉ: Musiciens français d'aujourd'hui. (1911–21.)
9G. SAMAZEULH: Un Musicien français, Paul Dukas. (1913.)
10V. D'INDY: Emmanuel Chabrier et Paul Dukas. (Heugel, 1920.)
11A. COEUROY: La Musique française moderne. (1922.)
13G. S.
15DUKE, RICHARD (fl. circa 1750–80), has been considered one of the best of the Stainer and Amati copyists at this period, and his high reputation amongst English violin makers is amply justified by the genuine examples of his work, but unfortunately it became the fashion to affix his name to a large number of spurious instruments of very poor quality. He worked, as his labels state, 'near opposite Great Turn-Stile, Holbourn, London.'
17E. H. F.
19DUKELSKY, VLADIMIR (b. Parisianova, near Polotzk, N. Russia, Sept. 27, 1903), composer, belongs to a family settled at Kieff. One of his grandparents is directly descended from the kings of Georgia, and another is Spanish. At six years of age he attempted to write a ballet. He studied composition at Moscow and Kieff under Glière and Yavorsky. He left Russia in 1920 and spent two years in Constantinople, after which he migrated to America, where he became acquainted with George Gershwin, the composer of the 'Rhapsody in Blue' and innumerable ragtime pieces. His overture 'Gondla' was produced at Carnegie Hall. In May 1924 he returned to Europe with a piano concerto, dedicated to Arthur Rubinstein, which he played to Diaghilev, with the result that he was at once commissioned to write the ballet 'Zephyr and Flora.' This was composed in June at Choisel (Seine-et-Oise) and
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