University of Kentucky UKnowledge Theses and Dissertations--Music Music 2014 RE-THINKING PARIS AT THE FIN-DE-SIÈCLE: A NEW VISION OF PARISIAN MUSICAL CULTURE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF GABRIEL ASTRUC (1854-1938) Cesar A. Leal University of Kentucky, [email protected] Right click to open a feedback form in a new tab to let us know how this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Leal, Cesar A., "RE-THINKING PARIS AT THE FIN-DE-SIÈCLE: A NEW VISION OF PARISIAN MUSICAL CULTURE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF GABRIEL ASTRUC (1854-1938)" (2014). Theses and Dissertations--Music. 30. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/music_etds/30 This Doctoral Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Music at UKnowledge. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations--Music by an authorized administrator of UKnowledge. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STUDENT AGREEMENT: I represent that my thesis or dissertation and abstract are my original work. 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Leal, Student Dr. Jonathan Glixon, Major Professor Dr. David Sogin, Director of Graduate Studies RE-THINKING PARIS AT THE FIN-DE-SIÈCLE: A NEW VISION OF PARISIAN MUSICAL CULTURE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF GABRIEL ASTRUC (1854-1938) _______________________________________ DISSERTATION _______________________________________ A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the College of Fine Arts at the University of Kentucky By César Andrés Leal Lexington, Kentucky Co-Directors: Dr. Diana Hallman, Professor of Musicology and Dr. Jonathan Glixon, Professor of Musicology Lexington, Kentucky Copyright © César Andrés Leal 2014 ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION RE-THINKING PARIS AT THE FIN-DE-SIÈCLE: A NEW VISION OF PARISIAN MUSICAL CULTURE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF GABRIEL ASTRUC (1854-1938) Gabriel Astruc (1864-1938), a French impresario of Jewish background, is mostly known for his collaborative work as an impresario with Sergei Diaghilev and his Ballets Russes. His role within Parisian musical culture at the fin de siècle, however, was much broader. He was a critic, creator of a leading periodical, producer of musical and circus events, music publisher, and associate of many important cultural figures of his day. Although Astruc has been mentioned in scholarly literature, his multifaceted activities have never been carefully studied. Following the revisionist initiatives of previous scholars (e.g., Pasler, Huebner, Garafola, Fauser), this project offers a new understanding of Parisian cultural life between 1880 and 1913. Rather than focusing on valued composers such as Debussy or selected avant-garde repertoire, this dissertation considers the panoramic perspective of the Parisian cultural milieu as understood by a well-positioned impresario who participated in diverse, but often intersecting, music circles. It reveals rich interconnections between Astruc’s entrepreneurial, managerial, and publishing endeavors that linked private fêtes and soirées that he produced in elite homes with his ambitious concert series, La Grande Saison de Paris, 1905-1913 – organized through his firm La Sociéte Musicale – and with compositions and contents published in Musica, the magazine he co-founded in 1902. It questions Astruc’s aesthetic preferences and argues that he helped to shape Parisian culture through the promotion, publication, and programming of balanced, eclectic repertoire of new and old, national and international, and light as well as weighty works. This study also chronicles the development of the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Astruc’s culminating project that was intended to embrace symphonic, operatic, and chamber performance and to experiment with new juxtapositions and integrations of the arts. Research for this dissertation centered on a compilation and a comparative analysis of wide-ranging materials found in Astruc’s collections at the Archives Nationales and New York Public Library. Unlike earlier studies of fin-de-siècle Paris, this project utilizes previously unexamined publications, musical criticism, published literature, and manuscript material, all originating from or related to Astruc’s diverse activities and observations. KEYWORDS: Gabriel Astruc, La Grande Saison de Paris, Ballet Russes, fin-de-siècle Parisian cultural life, Théâtre des Champs-Élysées César Andrés Leal Student’s Signature 05/12/2014 Date RE-THINKING PARIS AT THE FIN-DE-SIÈCLE: A NEW VISION OF PARISIAN MUSICAL CULTURE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF GABRIEL ASTRUC (1854-1938) By César Andrés Leal Dr. Diana Hallman Co-Director of Dissertation Dr. Jonathan Glixon Co-Director of Dissertation Dr. David Sogin Director of Graduate Studies 05/12/2013 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This work has been the product of a collaboration of many people. My gratitude goes first and foremost to Drs. Diana Hallman and Jonathan Glixon. Not only were they always available to provide the academic input for which they are already recognized but also valuable encouragement at the most needed moments. I hope this work honors their time, effort, and support. Also, I am thankful to Drs. Lance Brunner, Ron Pen, Suzanne Pucci, and Beth Glixon, from whom I learned by example valuable lessons on compassion and integrity. Additionally, I will be always grateful to the Musicology Division at the University of Kentucky for believing in this project and supporting my studies, my love for conducting and, particularly, my one-year residence in Paris. This work was also enriched by the valuable advice from other scholars and mentors who generously shared their time and knowledge with me. Thanks to Dr. Mark Pottinger, whose broad vision and innovative approach to music research inspired this work, and to Dr. Jann Pasler for her encouragement and advice so freely dispensed during our encounters in Paris and Kentucky. I am grateful to Olivier Corpet for his friendship and support, and l’Institut mémoires de l’édition contemporaine for the generous fellowship to work in its archives. Thanks to my friends and colleagues from the Paris Conservatoire Juan Pablo Carreño and Pedro García Velasquez for supporting my performing activities in Paris while doing research. Additionally, I thank the Sanfuentes family for opening the doors of their home and allowing me an intimate view of ‘uncle Gabriel.’ Fostering ideas with friends and accomplished scholars had a tremendous impact on this work. I would like to thank Dr. Francie Chassen-López, who I consider family, for sharing her love and passion for music, culture, dancing, traveling, good wine, and history. I also thank Joe and Judy Phillips, who first welcomed me to Kentucky and introduced me to Barbara Phillips, who taught me to seek adventure, even when hiking on ‘perfectly good trails.’ Thanks to Marie Doucedame for her friendship, hospitality, and for letting me experience Paris as she understands it. Finally, thanks to those who patiently observed and endured every written word. I am eternally grateful to my parents, to whom I not only owe the possibility (and luxury) of doing what I love for a living but also for nurturing the family tradition of making music together. I am also thankful to Troy Johnson for always finding easier ways to do things and who willingly altered his sleeping patterns to match mine. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgments .........................................................................................................iii List of Figures ................................................................................................................ vi Chapter 1. Introduction ...............................................................................................1 1.1 Description, Methodology, Sources, and Goals of the Dissertation ....... 10 1.2 Organization of the Dissertation ...............................................................12 1.3 Significance of Study ................................................................................16 1.4 Limitations and Directions for Future Research ......................................17 Chapter 2. Gabriel Astruc as homme de lettres .................................................................