Marie Juliette Toutain (July 22, 1877 – 1948) was a French pianist, organist, and composer.

Early life and education

Toutain was born in

Trouville-sur-Mer Trouville-sur-Mer (, literally ''Trouville on Sea''), commonly referred to as Trouville, is a city of 4,603 inhabitants in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. Trouville-sur-Mer borders Deauville across the Ri ...

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

, the daughter of Jules Toutain and Théodorine Poret. Her father was a naval administrator; her mother was a piano builder who knew many musicians in Paris. She trained at the

Conservatoire de Paris The Conservatoire de Paris (), also known as the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue ...

, where she studied composition with

Gabriel Fauré Gabriel Urbain Fauré (; 12 May 1845 – 4 November 1924) was a French composer, organist, pianist and teacher. He was one of the foremost French composers of his generation, and his musical style influenced many 20th-century composers ...

and

Auguste Chapuis Auguste Chapuis (25 April 1858 – 6 December 1933) was a 19th/20th century French composer, organist, and professor. He was a student with César Franck. The in the 20th arrondissement of Paris was named after him when he died in 1933. He was ...

, and was a prize-winning piano student of

Raoul Pugno Stéphane Raoul Pugno (23 June 1852) was a French composer, teacher, organist, and pianist known for his playing of Mozart's works. Biography Raoul Pugno was born in Paris and was of Italian origin. He made his debut at the age of six, and with t ...

and

Paul Vidal Paul Antonin Vidal (16 June 1863 – 9 April 1931) was a French composer, conductor and music teacher mainly active in Paris.Charlton D. Paul Vidal. In: ''The New Grove Dictionary of Opera.'' Macmillan, London and New York, 1997. Life and caree ...

, and a top organ student of

Alexandre Guilmant Félix-Alexandre Guilmant (; 12 March 1837 – 29 March 1911) was a French organist and composer. He was the organist of La Trinité from 1871 until 1901. A noted pedagogue, performer, and improviser, Guilmant helped found the Schola Cantor ...

. She completed her studies at the Conservatoire in 1902. That year an American publication reported that "to a sufficient technic this young lady adds a charm and individuality of her own," adding that she was "the cause of a great deal of discussion at present. Although quite young, she has gained at the Conservatoire the first prizes for piano, organ, accompaniment, and harmony."

Career

Despite her impressive training and international reputation, Toutain faced significant barriers on the basis of gender. Her family disapproved, and major competitions, such as the

Prix de Rome The Prix de Rome () or Grand Prix de Rome was a French scholarship for arts students, initially for painters and sculptors, that was established in 1663 during the reign of Louis XIV of France. Winners were awarded a bursary that allowed them t ...

, either did not accept women entrants, or made no practical arrangements for their attendance. Her efforts to participate, while unsuccessful, opened doors for other women's participation. After her marriage in 1904, Toutain-Grün performed in concerts and wrote musical settings for poems by

Albert Samain Albert Victor Samain (3 April 185818 August 1900) was a French poet and writer of the Symbolist school. Life and works Born in Lille, his family were Flemish and had long lived in the town or its suburbs. At the time of the poet's birth, his fa ...

, Robert de la Villehervé, and Amédée-Louis Hettich to music, and wrote ten piano pieces called "Les Menottes" ("The Handcuffs", 1908). She composed a cantata on the

beatification Beatification (from Latin ''beatus'', "blessed" and ''facere'', "to make”) is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their nam ...

Joan of Arc Joan of Arc (french: link=yes, Jeanne d'Arc, translit= �an daʁk} ; 1412 – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronati ...

, which was performed at the dedication of a statue in Trouville in 1910. Toutain was organist at the Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours church in Trouville.

Louis Vierne Louis Victor Jules Vierne (8 October 1870 – 2 June 1937) was a French organist and composer. As the organist of Notre-Dame de Paris from 1900 until his death, he focused on organ music, including six organ symphonies and a '' Messe solennelle ...

's ''Suite Bourguignonne'' for piano (1899) was dedicated to her.

Personal life

Toutain married artist

Jules-Alexandre Grün Jules-Alexandre Grün (25 May 1868 – 15 February 1938) was a French post-impressionist painter, poster artist, and illustrator.

in 1904. They had a son, Jean. Her husband died from

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms becom ...

in 1938, and she died in 1948.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Toutain, Juliette 1877 births 1948 deaths French pianists French composers French women composers French women pianists Women organists French organists People from Trouville-sur-Mer Conservatoire de Paris alumni