Indy, Paul Marie Theodore Vincent d'

1851-

Leader of the modern French School of composers. Born at Paris. He at first studied law, but his musical bent was strong and before his studies were completed he attempted to set Hugo's Les Burgraves to music, but left it unfinished. His early musical instruction was under Diemar and Marmontel in piano, and Lavignac in harmony. After returning from the Franco-Prussian War he joined Franck's organ class at the Conservatory in 18 3, and studied privately under him in counterpoint and composition. After two years of study he became chorusmaster under Colonne, for three years playing the drums for practise, He was instrumental in the success of the Lamoureux concerts, of which he became ehorusmaster in 1887. He has also traveled extensively as a conductor. He is president of several concert  societies, among them the Socit6 Nationale de la Musique, of which he was an organizer; is inspector of music in the Paris schools and director and professor in the Schola Cantorum, which he helped found in 1896, and which has now three hundred pupils. He is a member of the Royal Academy of Brussels, of a musical society in Holland, of the Legion of Honor, the Order of Leopold of Belgium, and the Order of Charles III. of Spain, of which he is commander. Since the Paris Exposition he has been on the government music commission. He is a fervent admirer of Wagner, whom he upheld in the early seventies, in spite of the hostility prevailing at the time, and assisted in the production of Lohengrin at Eden Theatre when it was fiven for the first time at Paris, May , 1887, and of The Ring, and Parsifal. D'Indy also contributes to periodicals and has written a Cours de Composition musicale, and the librettos   of Fervaal and L'fitranger: besides helping Tiersot to collect French folk-songs and editing Solomon Rossi's madrigals. D'Indy is a quiet man of lofty ideals, seeking not the plaudits of the many but the praise of the judicious few, and his music, though not always pleasing, is remarkable in technique. His first important work was a trilogy on Schiller's Wallenstein, which shows excellent orchestration. Les Piccolomini, the second part of the work, was given in 1874; Mort de Wallenstein in 1880; and La Camp in 1884; but it was not given as a whole until 1888. Other important compositions are a scene, La Chanson des Aventuries de la Mer, for barytone and orchestra; La Chevauchee du Cid, which first came out as a song in 1877, and was given in 1884 as a scene for barytone, chorus and orchestra; an overture to Anthony and Cleopatra; the legends Le Chant de la Cloche, after Schiller, probably his most remarkable work, which took the City of Paris Prize in 1886; Sange fleurie; Le Foret Enchantee, after Uhland's ballad; and Istar, based on an old Babylonian epic. There are also a symphonie chevaleresque, Jean Hunyade; a fantaisie on folk-songs, for oboe and orchestra, 1888; a symphony for piano and orchestra on a French Mountain Air; a symphony in G flat; and a varied choral for saxophone and orchestra. For the stage are Attendez-moi sous l'orme; Fervaal; and L'fitranger; besides incidental music for Alexandre's Kardec and Mendes, Medee. A cantata, Sainte Marie Magdeleine, was produced in 1885, and another for the inaugural of Augier's statue at Valence in 1893. Other vocal works are a Lied Maritime for solo and orchestra; Sur la Mer, a chorus for female voices; Deus Israel, a motet; and songs. His chamber-music includes a piano quartet; a suite in D for trumpet, two flutes, and strings; a suite for piano; a trio for piano, clarinet and cello; two string quartets; Chanson et Danses for windinstruments; piano scherzo; three waltzes called Helvetia; three pieces called Schumanniana, and a group of thirteen pieces called Tableaux de Voyage. Among his recent works are Souvenirs, and a sonata for piano and violin.

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