Yvonne Gouverné, ''née'' Yvonne Marcelle Gouverné, (6 February 1890 – 26 October 1982) was a 20th-century French pianist by training, who went on to become an accompanist and choir conductor.

Biography

Early career

Born in the

9th arrondissement of Paris The 9th arrondissement of Paris (''IXe arrondissement'') is one of the 20 arrondissements of the capital city of France. In spoken French, it is referred to as (; "ninth"). The arrondissement, called Opéra, is located on the right bank of th ...

, the daughter of a physician, Yvonne Gouverné moved to a career as a pianist after studying at the

Schola Cantorum de Paris The Schola Cantorum de Paris ( being ) is a private conservatory in Paris. It was founded in 1894 by Charles Bordes, Alexandre Guilmant and Vincent d'Indy as a counterbalance to the Paris Conservatoire's emphasis on opera. History The Schola ...

. In 1918, following a decisive meeting with

André Caplet André Caplet (23 November 1878 – 22 April 1925) was a French composer and conductor of classical music. He was a friend of Claude Debussy and completed the orchestration of several of Debussy's compositions as well as arrangements of severa ...

, she turned to the profession of accompanist and singer. With Caplet, at the Concerts Pasdeloup, they premiered in concert ''

Le Martyre de saint Sébastien ''Le Martyre de saint Sébastien'' is a five-act musical mystery play on the subject of Saint Sebastian, with a text written in 1911 by the Italian author Gabriele D'Annunzio and incidental music by the French composer Claude Debussy (L.124). ...

'' by

Claude Debussy Achille Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionism in music, Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influe ...

in November 1922 and ''Miroir de Jésus'' by Caplet with

Claire Croiza Claire Croiza (14 September 1882 – 27 May 1946) was a French mezzo-soprano and an influential teacher of singers. Career Claire Croiza (née Conelly, or O'Connolly) was born in Paris, the daughter of an expatriate American father and an Italia ...

as the soloist in June 1923. After André Caplet's death in 1925, she decided to dedicate herself to making her master's works known and continued her career at the

Walther Straram Walther Straram (1876-1933) was an English conductor active in France during the early twentieth century. Life and career Walther Marrast was born in London in 1876. He used an anagram of his surname, Straram, professionally. He worked at the ...

concerts between 1925 and 1933. Among so many others, she participated in the premiere of '' Œdipus Rex'' by

Igor Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ( – 6 April 1971) was a Russian composer and conductor with French citizenship (from 1934) and American citizenship (from 1945). He is widely considered one of the most important and influential 20th-century c ...

(1928) and ''Judith'',

oratorio An oratorio () is a musical composition with dramatic or narrative text for choir, soloists and orchestra or other ensemble. Similar to opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguisha ...

Arthur Honegger Arthur Honegger (; 10 March 1892 – 27 November 1955) was a Swiss-French composer who was born in France and lived a large part of his life in Paris. Honegger was a member of Les Six. For Halbreich, '' Jeanne d'Arc au bûcher'' is "more even ...

in 1928. In 1929/30, again with Walther Straram, at the

Théâtre des Champs-Élysées The Théâtre des Champs-Élysées () is an entertainment venue standing at 15 avenue Montaigne in Paris. It is situated near Avenue des Champs-Élysées, from which it takes its name. Its eponymous main hall may seat up to 1,905 people, while th ...

, she hosted innovative radio programs called "Vulgarisation musicale". Still in 1930, she joined

Roger Désormière Roger Désormière () (13 September 1898 – 25 October 1963) was a French conducting, conductor. He was an enthusiastic champion of contemporary composers, but also conducted performances of early eighteenth century French music. Life and career ...

at the Société de musique d'autrefois (SMA), first foray into

early music Early music generally comprises Medieval music (500–1400) and Renaissance music (1400–1600), but can also include Baroque music (1600–1750) or Ancient music (before 500 AD). Originating in Europe, early music is a broad Dates of classical ...

, which we call today

Baroque music Baroque music ( or ) refers to the period or dominant style of Classical music, Western classical music composed from about 1600 to 1750. The Baroque style followed the Renaissance music, Renaissance period, and was followed in turn by the Class ...

(Désormière and Yvonne Gouverné had already collaborated in a concert of homage to Caplet in 1927), the SMA which she met again after 1956. Again with Desormière, it was the foundation of the Orchestre symphonique de Paris with the premiere of

Igor Markevitch Igor Borisovich Markevitch (, ''Igor Borisovich Markevich'', , ''Ihor Borysovych Markevych''; 27 July 1912 – 7 March 1983) was a Russian composer and conductor who studied and worked in Paris and became a naturalized Italian and French citi ...

's ''Cantata'' on 4 June 1930.

Foundation of Choir

In 1934, after the death of Walther Straram, Gouverné founded a vocal ensemble soon to be associated with the "Triton concerts" by

Pierre-Octave Ferroud Pierre-Octave Calixte Ferroud (6 January 1900 – 17 August 1936)K.S. (2003). was a French composer of classical music. Life Ferroud was born in Chasselay, Rhône, near Lyon. He went to Lyon, to Strasbourg (for military service from 1920-2) w ...

, Henry Barraud, Jean Rivier and

Emmanuel Bondeville Emmanuel Bondeville was a French composer and music administrator, born 29 October 1898 in Rouen, and died 26 November 1987 in Paris. He was a member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts. Biography As a young man he was organist at the church of Sai ...

, which led to the first ''

a cappella Music performed a cappella ( , , ; ), less commonly spelled acapella in English, is music performed by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Rena ...

'' choir auditions by

Florent Schmitt Florent Schmitt (; 28 September 187017 August 1958) was a French composer. He was part of the group known as Les Apaches. His most famous pieces are ''La tragédie de Salome'' and ''Psaume XLVII'' ( Psalm 47). He has been described as "one of t ...

Francis Poulenc Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc (; 7 January 189930 January 1963) was a French composer and pianist. His compositions include mélodie, songs, solo piano works, chamber music, choral pieces, operas, ballets, and orchestral concert music. Among th ...

, Roland-Manuel and the performing of ''

Les noces ''The Wedding'', or ''Svadebka (''), is a Russian-language ballet-cantata by Igor Stravinsky scored unusually for four vocal soloists, chorus, percussion and four pianos. Dedicating the work to impresario Sergei Diaghilev, the composer described ...

'' by Stravinsky conducted by Charles Munch. Beginning in 1935, Munch, both at the Philharmonic Orchestra and the

Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire The Orchestre de la Société des concerts du Conservatoire () was a symphony orchestra established in Paris in 1828. It gave its first concert on 9 March 1828 with music by Beethoven, Rossini, Meifreid, Rode and Cherubini. Administered by the phi ...

, will always call on Gouverné for the choirs. It was the time of the first exceptional concerts: the ''

Requiem A Requiem (Latin: ''rest'') or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead () or Mass of the dead (), is a Mass of the Catholic Church offered for the repose of the souls of the deceased, using a particular form of the Roman Missal. It is ...

'' by

Berlioz Louis-Hector Berlioz (11 December 1803 – 8 March 1869) was a French Romantic music, Romantic composer and conductor. His output includes orchestral works such as the ''Symphonie fantastique'' and ''Harold en Italie, Harold in Italy'' ...

in the courtyard of honour of the

Invalides The Hôtel des Invalides (; ), commonly called (; ), is a complex of buildings in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, France, containing museums and monuments, all relating to the military history of France, as well as a hospital and an old sold ...

on 16 June 1938 with Munch, the ''

'' by

Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi ( ; ; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto, a small town in the province of Parma, to a family of moderate means, recei ...

in the same year with

Bruno Walter Bruno Walter (born Bruno Schlesinger, September 15, 1876February 17, 1962) was a Germany, German-born Conducting, conductor, pianist, and composer. Born in Berlin, he escaped Nazi Germany in 1933, was naturalised as a French people, French cit ...

, at

Salle Pleyel The Salle Pleyel (, meaning "Pleyel Hall") is a concert hall in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France, designed by the acoustician Gustave Lyon together with the architect Jacques Marcel Auburtin, who died in 1926, and the work was completed i ...

. Thanks to Bondeville, the choir also entered the station, which led her to meet again Desormière at the newly created (1934)

Orchestre national de France The Orchestre National de France (; ; abbr. ONF) is a French symphony orchestra based in Paris, founded in 1934. Placed under the administration of the French national radio (named Radio France since 1975), the ONF performs mainly in the Grand ...

by Désiré-Émile Inghelbrecht. She worked with the National Orchestra until the early 1960s. During the war, after the retreat to

Rennes Rennes (; ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Resnn''; ) is a city in the east of Brittany in Northwestern France at the confluence of the rivers Ille and Vilaine. Rennes is the prefecture of the Brittany (administrative region), Brittany Regions of F ...

, she was first charged with broadcasts to the United States and then returned to Paris in September 1940. During all the Occupation, she will continue to work with Désormière (especially on the famous recording of '' Pelléas et Mélisande'') and with Munch. The Yvonne Gouverné choir thus performed at the first audition of the ''Apocalypse'' by

Jean Françaix Jean René Désiré Françaix (pronunciation Fran-say or Fran-seks) was born on 23 May 1912, in Le Mans and died in 25 September 1997, in Paris). Françaix was a French neoclassical composer, pianist, and orchestrator known for his prolific outp ...

, for ''

Jeanne d'Arc au bûcher Jeanne may refer to: Places * Jeanne (crater), on Venus People * Jeanne (given name) * Joan of Arc (Jeanne d'Arc, c.1412–1431), French folk heroine and saint * Jeanne Devos (religious sister) * Jeanne Devos (photographer) * Joan of Flander ...

'' by Honegger conducted by Munch on disc, in 1942. Still in 1942,

music director A music director, musical director or director of music is a person responsible for the musical aspects of a performance, production, or organization. This would include the artistic director and usually chief conductor of an orchestra or concert ...

of the radio station, instructed Gouverné to gradually take over the French radio broadcasts in Paris..

Years post WWII

At the

Liberation of France The liberation of France () in the Second World War was accomplished through diplomacy, politics and the combined military efforts of the Allied Powers, Free French forces in London and Africa, as well as the French Resistance. Nazi Germany in ...

, Henry Barraud, appointed musical director of the

Radiodiffusion française Radiodiffusion Française (; RDF) was a French public institution responsible for public service broadcasting. Created in 1944 as a state monopoly (replacing Radiodiffusion Nationale), RDF worked to rebuild its extensive network, destroyed duri ...

, assigned her the task of taking over the entire choir formation, dispersed and dismembered by four years of occupation. Hence in 1946, the foundation of the

Maîtrise de Radio France Maîtrise de Radio France (; known as Maîtrise de Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française prior to 1975) is the choir school of Radio France. The school and its choir were founded in 1946 by the composer Henry Barraud and the pedagogue Maurice ...

and in 1947 the rapprochement of the Symphonic Choir and the Lyric Choir. Premieres also followed one another, the '' Trois petites liturgies de la présence divine'' by

Olivier Messiaen Olivier Eugène Prosper Charles Messiaen (, ; ; 10 December 1908 – 27 April 1992) was a French composer, organist, and ornithology, ornithologist. One of the major composers of the 20th-century classical music, 20th century, he was also an ou ...

at the and on disks in 1945 and the ''

'' by

Maurice Duruflé Maurice Gustave Duruflé (; 11 January 1902 – 16 June 1986) was a French composer, organist, musicologist, and teacher. Life and career Duruflé was born in Louviers, Eure in 1902. He attended Rouen Cathedral Choir School from 1912 to 1918, ...

in 1946, with the Orchestre national de France, with

Hélène Bouvier Hélène Bouvier (June 20, 1905 in Paris – March 11, 1978 in Paris) was a French operatic mezzo-soprano, particularly associated with the French repertoire. She studied at the Paris Conservatory and made her debut in Nantes in the title rol ...

and Camille Maurane as soloists, both conducted by Roger Désormière. Still with the National, on 17 February 1947, it was

Eugène Bigot Eugène Bigot (28 February 1888 – 17 July 1965) was a French composer and conductor. Life Bigot was born in Rennes, Brittany. Initially trained as a violinist and later as a violist, he entered the Conservatoire de Paris in 1905 to continue h ...

who conducted the premiere of the ''Ode au peuple'' for choir and orchestra by Louis Saguer. On 8 May 1947 the premiere of ''Mystère des saints innocents'' by Henry Barraud was conducted by

Manuel Rosenthal Manuel Rosenthal (18 June 1904 – 5 June 2003) was a French composer and conductor who held leading positions with musical organizations in France and the United States. He was friends with many contemporary composers, and despite a considerab ...

and ''Naissance du verbe'' by

Giacinto Scelsi Giacinto Francesco Maria Scelsi (; 8 January 1905 – 9 August 1988, sometimes cited as 8 August 1988) was an Italian composer who also wrote surrealist poetry in French. He is best known for having composed music based around only one pitch, ...

was premiered again by Désormière on 28 November 1949. Gouverné also worked for the cinema, such as for example for '' le Rêve'' after

Émile Zola Émile Édouard Charles Antoine Zola (, ; ; 2 April 184029 September 1902) was a French novelist, journalist, playwright, the best-known practitioner of the literary school of Naturalism (literature), naturalism, and an important contributor to ...

Jacques de Baroncelli Jacques de Baroncelli (25 June 1881 – 12 January 1951) was a French film director best known for his silent films from 1915 to the late 1930s. He came from a Florentine family who had settled in Provence in the 15th century, occupying a buildi ...

, ''

Golgotha Calvary ( or ) or Golgotha () was a site immediately outside Jerusalem's walls where, according to Christianity's four canonical gospels, Jesus was crucified. Since at least the early medieval period, it has been a destination for pilgrimage. ...

'' (music by

Jacques Ibert Jacques François Antoine Marie Ibert (15 August 1890 – 5 February 1962) was a French composer of 20th-century classical music, classical music. Having studied music from an early age, he studied at the Conservatoire de Paris, Paris Conservatoir ...

) by

Julien Duvivier Julien Duvivier (; 8 October 1896 – 29 October 1967) was a French film director and screenwriter. He was prominent in French cinema in the years 1930–1960. Amongst his most original films, chiefly notable are ''La Bandera (film), La Bandera'', ...

, '' la Vie parisienne'' (Based on Offenbach's music) by

Robert Siodmak Robert Siodmak (; 8 August 1900 – 10 March 1973) was a German Jewish film director. His career spanned some 40 years, working extensively in the United States and France, as well as in his native country. Though he worked in many genres, he was ...

, ''

The Citadel of Silence ''The Citadel of Silence'' (French: ''La citadelle du silence'') is a 1937 French drama film directed by Marcel L'Herbier and starring Annabella, Pierre Renoir and Bernard Lancret.Driskell p.209 The film's sets were designed by the art directors ...

'' (

Darius Milhaud Darius Milhaud (, ; 4 September 1892 – 22 June 1974) was a French composer, conductor, and teacher. He was a member of Les Six—also known as ''The Group of Six''—and one of the most prolific composers of the 20th century. His composition ...

) by

Marcel L'Herbier Marcel L'Herbier (; 23 April 1888 – 26 November 1979) was a French filmmaker who achieved prominence as an avant-garde theorist and imaginative practitioner with a series of silent films in the 1920s. His career as a director continued unti ...

, '' Port of Shadows'' ( Maurice Jaubert) by

Marcel Carné Marcel Albert Carné (; 18 August 1906 – 31 October 1996) was a French film director. A key figure in the poetic realism movement, Carné's best known films include ''Port of Shadows'' (1938), ''Le Jour Se Lève'' (1939), ''Les Visiteurs du Soi ...

, ''Véronique'', etc.; for the theatre, at the Théâtre Français, ''

Athalie ''Athalie'' (, sometimes translated ''Athalia'') is a 1691 play, the final tragedy of Jean Racine, and has been described as the masterpiece of "one of the greatest literary artists known" and the "ripest work" of Racine's genius. Charles August ...

'' by Jean Racine (music by

Haendel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel ( ; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque music, Baroque composer well-known for his opera#Baroque era, operas, oratorios, anthems, concerto grosso, concerti grossi, ...

, adaptation by

Jacques Chailley Jacques Chailley (24 March 1910 – 21 January 1999) was a French musicologist and composer. Alain Lompech, "Jacques Chailley, musicologue-praticien et infatigable chercheur", ''Consociatio internationalis musicæ sacræ, Musicæ sacræ ministeriu ...

). Gouverné died in the

16th arrondissement of Paris The 16th arrondissement of Paris (; ) is the westernmost of the 20 arrondissements of Paris, the capital city of France. Located on the city's Right Bank, it is adjacent to the 17th and 8th arrondissements to the northeast, as well as to the ...

on 26 October 1982 aged 92.

Homages

dedicated to her a piece from the ''

Quatre motets pour un temps de pénitence Quatre is one of the Grenadines islands which lie between the Caribbean islands of Saint Vincent and Grenada. It is part of the nation of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. On March 30, 2024, American YouTuber MrBeast released a video on his ...

'' composed in 1938 and 1939: ''Vinea mea electa''.

Discography

In her discography, Gouverné, in addition to Messiaen, was particularly fond of distinguishing: * 1941 ''La Danse des morts'' by Honegger with

Charles Panzéra Charles uguste LouisPanzéra (February 16, 1896 in Geneva – June 6, 1976 in Paris) was a Swiss people, Swiss operatic and concert baritone. Overview Panzéra's studies at the Conservatoire de Paris, Paris Conservatory under the tuition of ...

(baritone);

Jean-Louis Barrault Jean-Louis Bernard Barrault (; 8 September 1910 – 22 January 1994) was a French actor, director and mime artist who worked on both screen and stage. Biography Barrault was born in Le Vésinet in France in 1910. His father was 'a Burgundi ...

(narrator);

Orchestre de la Société des concerts du Conservatoire The Orchestre de la Société des concerts du Conservatoire () was a symphony orchestra established in Paris in 1828. It gave its first concert on 9 March 1828 with music by Beethoven, Rossini, Meifreid, Rode and Cherubini. Administered by the phi ...

, conductor Charles Munch (26 January 1941, Cascavelle "La France résistante") * 1954,

Grand Prix du Disque Grand may refer to: People with the name * Grand (surname) * Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor Places * Grand, Oklahoma, USA * Grand, Vosges, village and commune in France with Gallo-Roman amphitheatre * Grand County (disambiguation), ...

: The '' Symphony of Psalms'' by

(conductor Horenstein) * 1955, Grand Prix du disque: Le ''Mystère des Saints Innocents'' by Henry Barraud (conductor Paul Kletzki) * 1956 ''Le Château de feu'' by

(conductor Darius Milhaud), premiere given at the

Palais de Chaillot The Palais de Chaillot () is a building at the top of the in the Trocadéro area in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, France. Design The building was designed in classicising " moderne" style by architects Louis-Hippolyte Boileau, Jacques ...

on 30 November 1955worldcat.org/title/chateau-du-feu-op-338
/ref>. (LP Chant du Monde) Famous and historic recording: *

Pelléas and Mélisande ''Pelléas and Mélisande'' () is a Symbolism (movement), Symbolist play by the Belgian playwright and author Maurice Maeterlinck. The play is about the forbidden, doomed love of the title characters and was first performed in 1893 in literature, ...

led by

(24 April/17 November 1941,

EMI EMI Group Limited (formerly EMI Group plc until 2007; originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At t ...

)

Sources

* * Yvonne Gouverné, ''Ce que je dois à Désormière'', in

References

External links

Yvonne Gouverné
on IdRef
Audio file with Yvonne Gouverné's voice

Francis Poulenc, by Yvonne Gouverné
on poulenc.fr
Yvonne Gouverné
on last.fm music
Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Darius Milhaud, Yvonne Gouverné, ''Le château du feu''
on YouTube {{DEFAULTSORT:Gouverne, Yvonne 20th-century French women classical pianists 20th-century French classical pianists Schola Cantorum de Paris alumni French choral conductors Musicians from Paris 1890 births 1982 deaths French women conductors (music) 20th-century French conductors (music)