# Étienne Méhul



## bdelykleon

From the All music guide










Méhul was the greatest French symphonist before Berlioz and an important and prolific composer of opéras comiques. His musical style came out of Gluck's tradition of opera and Haydn's and early Beethoven's tradition of choral and instrumental writing. Méhul went beyond these influences, though, particularly in the realm of orchestration. His use of large forces and novel and striking effects anticipated Berlioz. The more colorful aspects of his instrumentation were always a result of the drama of the opera and never gratuitous. Méhul also developed certain other techniques such as the reminiscence-motif, which was to have a great influence on Weber and, later, Wagner. His harmonies could also be striking and unusual, but were generally less effective on a larger scale, where he remained quite conservative.

Méhul's only important teacher was Jean-Frédéric Edelmann, with whom he began studies in 1779. During the next decade, he produced two sets of piano sonatas and taught keyboard for a living. There is almost no other music surviving from this period to chart Méhul's early development. It was likely that he wrote much, though, for his first surviving opera, Cora (1786), is assured and well written. His next opera, Euphrosine (1790), however, literally made him famous overnight. Adrien (1791), never performed until 1799 for political reasons, and Stratonice (1792) followed. In the latter, Méhul created an intentionally antique style to capture the setting of the drama, a particularly romantic technique. The comedy Le jeune sage et le vieux fou (1793) was Méhul's last opera for many years to be unaffected by the impending political crisis in France. The remaining operas of the 1790s, Horatius Coclès (1794), Mélidore et Phrosine (1794), Le jeune Henri (1797), and Ariodant (1799), all contain political overtones and a "republican" message. During this period, Méhul also composed numerous anthems and instrumental works for the Institut National de Musique. This activity eventually brought him to Napoleon's notice, for whom he composed several works after 1800, including the opera L'irato (1801) and the Chant national du 14 juillet 1800, an important forerunner of Berlioz's Requiem.

Méhul turned to a series of minor comedies over the next years. The only important opera to emerge from this decade was Joseph (1807), probably his greatest. After this, Méhul turned to symphonic composition for a brief time, producing two extraordinarily successful works in 1808-09, and a series of Napoleonic cantatas (1810-1811). His opera Les amazones (1811) failed, however, and Méhul, disenchanted with the fall of the First Empire and the reorganization of the Conservatoire, produced no other major works until the successful La journée aux aventures in 1816. Although Méhul's works are seldom performed today, his influence on Berlioz, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, and Weber was profound, and he stands as one of the most important composers of the early Romantic movement in France.

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=41:4423~T1


----------



## bdelykleon

I still don't know his operas, but I'm in awe with his four symphonies, great music, unfortunately largely unknown.


----------



## handlebar

bdelykleon said:


> I still don't know his operas, but I'm in awe with his four symphonies, great music, unfortunately largely unknown.


I concur. The symphonies are a true delight and underrated in my opinion.

Jim


----------



## bdelykleon

Am just listening for i've-lost-the-count times his sonata in c minor op. 1 no. 2. This is a truly amazing piece of music, since long I've met such a delight in a classical sonata unknown to me. It is very, very, close to Mozart's sonata in c minor and also Beethoven Pathétique, it has a fiery character really amazing.


----------



## starry

It soon tames after that fiery opening though doesn't it? The second theme comes back in a minor key I think though and that is more effective, the recapitulation having the kind of energy the marking of this first movement promised.


From the symphonies the movement that has made the greatest impression on me in the past has been the first movement of the 4th.


----------



## ganio

I've been listening to Méhul's _Stratonice_ this morning (Cappella Coloniensis, Corona Coloniensis, conducted by William Christie). This is the opéra-comique that, by his own admission, changed George Onslow's attitude towards music (until then music did not mean a whole lot to him). I imagine that it was the air "Oui, c'en est fait !" that made him change his mind. It is literally mind-blowing.


----------



## haydnguy

ganio said:


> I've been listening to Méhul's _Stratonice_ this morning (Cappella Coloniensis, Corona Coloniensis, conducted by William Christie). This is the opéra-comique that, by his own admission, changed George Onslow's attitude towards music (until then music did not mean a whole lot to him). I imagine that it was the air "Oui, c'en est fait !" that made him change his mind. It is literally mind-blowing.


For some reason when I click Like it is not accepting it. Thank you for posting about this.


----------



## Bernamej

What an incredible absolute scandal it is that we don't have more of Méhul's operas recorded. This world is such a a huge pile of filth.


----------



## Rogerx

Bernamej said:


> What an incredible absolute scandal it is that we don't have more of Méhul's operas recorded. This world is such a a huge pile of filth.


Scandal is a big word, for years recordings are less and less so Mehul who always came second afteer all the big names had this as last one, 2017 , reasonable.


----------



## Bernamej

Rogerx said:


> Scandal is a big word, for years recordings are less and less so Mehul who always came second afteer all the big names had this as last one, 2017 , reasonable.


I just discovered Stratonice and could not believe that we could neglect that genius, as I discovered D'Albert a few weeks ago and feel the same !
Thanks for this sharing will look it up now !


----------

