A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Lenepveu, Charles

by Adolphe Jullien

LENEPVEU, Charles Ferdinand, born at Rouen, Oct. 4, 1840. After finishing his classical studies at his native place, he came to Paris by his father's desire to study law, and at the same time he learnt solfeggio from Savard, a professor at the Conservatoire. His first essay as a composer was a cantata composed for the centenary of the Sociéte' d'Agriculture et de Commerce of Caen, which was crowned and performed July 29, 1862. After this success he resolved to follow the musical profession, and through the intervention of Savard he entered the Conservatoire and joined Ambroise Thomas's class. He carried off the Prix de Rome in 1865 as the first competitor, and his cantata, 'Renaud dans les jardins d'Armide,' was performed at the opening of the restored Salle du Conservatoire, Jan. 3, 1866. It was thought at the time that this work showed promise of a great future, but opinions have since undergone modification, for Lenepveu has never risen above the crowd of estimable musicians. When he was at Rome he took part in the competition instituted by the Minister of Fine Arts in 1867, and his score of 'Le Florentin,' written on a poem by St. Georges, was accepted from among 62 compositions, without hesitation on the part of the judges, or murmurs on the part of the rival competitors. The prize work was to have been given at the Opéra Comique, but political events and the war delayed the fulfilment of the promise, and Lenepveu, instead of composing for the Concerts Populaires, which were always ready to receive new works, made the mistake of holding aloof, resting on his laurels, while his companions, Massenet, Dubois, Guiraud, Bizet, etc., all of whom were waiting for admittance into the theatres, devoted themselves to symphonic music, and thereby acquired skill in orchestration, as well as the recognition of the public. Lenepveu, who on his return from Rome had resumed his contrapuntal studies with the celebrated organist Chauvet (born June 7, 1837, died Jan. 28, 1871), while waiting for the production of 'Le Florentin,' brought forward nothing except a funeral march for Henri Régnault, played under Pasdeloup, Jan. 21, 1872. In the preceding year he had produced a Requiem at Bordeaux for the benefit of the widows and orphans of those killed in the war, May 20, 1871; fragments of these works given at the Concerts du Conservatoire, March 29, 1872, and at the Concerts Populaires, April 11, 1873, showed an unfortunate tendency in the composer to obtain as much noise as possible. At length, after long delays and repeated applications, 'Le Florentin' was given at the Opéra Comique, Feb. 26, 1874, and was wholly unsuccessful. Since then Lenepveu has never been able to get any work represented in France. Having completed a grand opera, 'Velléda' (on the subject of Chateaubriand's 'Martyrs'), he determined to produce it in London, where it was performed in Italian, with Mme. Patti in the principal part (Covent Garden, July 4, 1882). The only portion of the work known in Paris is the scene of the conspiracy, which has been heard at various concerts. Besides a number of songs and pieces for the piano, Lenepveu has only produced one important work, a 'drame lyrique,' 'Jeanne d'Arc,' performed in the Cathedral at Rouen (June 1, 1886). His music, which is naturally noisy, is also wanting in originality, and his style is influenced by composers of the most opposite schools. He cannot be too much blamed for having avoided concerts in the attempt to prove that a man of his temperament ought at once to succeed on the stage. The artist is now entirely sunk in the professor. Since Nov. 1880 he has taken a harmony class for women at the Conservatoire in the place of Guiraud, now professor of advanced composition. In this capacity Lenepveu was decorated with the Légion d'Honneur on Aug. 4, 1887.

[ A. J. ]