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Gedalge, Andre

GEDALGE, ANDRE (1856–1926), music theorist, teacher, and composer. Born in Paris, Gédalge studied composition with Guiraud at the Paris Conservatory, where he later became a professor of counterpoint and fugue (1905). In 1885 he won the second Prix de Rome (1885) for his cantata La Vision de Saul. He became famous as a teacher, and his Traité de lafugue (1901) is still considered one of the best books on the subject. He also wrote two volumes on ear training (1921–23). His experience, as an inspector of provincial conservatories (1906), led him to write his L'enseignement de la musique par l'éducation méthodique de l'oreille (Paris, 1920). Gédalge composed four symphonies; chamber music such as String Quartet (1892) and two violin sonatas (op. 12 in 1897; op. 19 in 1900); the ballet Phoebé (1900); pieces for piano such as Préludes et fugues, op. 2 and three préludes de concert, op. 23 (1903); an opéra-comique, Pris au piège (1895); a drame lyrique, Hélène (1893), which won the Prix Cerescent in 1895; and songs. He remained uninfluenced by the developments of impressionism and continued to follow the tradition of Saint-Saëns and Lalo. However, his main contribution to French music was through his influence on composers such as Florent Schmitt, Ravel, *Milhaud, and Honegger, who were his pupils.


Grove online; MGG2; G. Fauré, Silhouettes du Conservatoire: Charles-Marie Widor, André Gédalge, Max d'Ollone (1986).