Weckerlin, Jean-Baptiste-Théodore

Weckerlin, Jean-Baptiste-Théodore, eminent French music scholar and composer; b. Guebwilier, Alsace, Nov. 9,1821; d. Trottberg, near Guebwiller, May 20,1910. He ran away from home and settled in Paris in 1843; entered the Paris Cons, in 1844, where he studied with Ponchard (singing) and Halévy (composition). He wrote a heroic sym., Roland, for Soloists, Chorus, and Orch. (1847) while still a student; after graduating in 1849, he took part with Seghers in the direction of the Société Sainte-Cécile (1850-55), which brought out some of his works. He achieved his first success with the 1-act comic opera, L’Organiste dans Vembarras (Théâtre-Lyrique, 1853). It was followed by 2 comic operas in Alsatian dialect, Die drifach Hochzitt im Bäsethal (Colmar, 1863) and D’r verhäxt’ Herbst (Colmar, 1879), and the 1-act opera Après Fontenoy (Théâtre-Lyrique, 1877). In 1863 he became librarian and archivist of the Société des Compositeurs de Musique. He became asst. librarian (1869) and librarian (1876) of the Paris Cons., retiring in 1909. He won distinction as a composer of grand choral works; also wrote 12 stage works, orch. music, chamber music, hundreds of songs, and many piano pieces. He ed. various early French stage works and many folksong collections.

Writings

(all publ. in Paris): Opuscules sur la chanson populaire et sur la musique (1874); Musiciana (1877); Bibliothèque du Conservatoire national de musique et de déclamation: Catalogue bibliographique_ de la Reserve (1885); La chanson populaire (1886); Nouveau musiciana (1890); Dernier musiciana (1899).

Bibliography

H. Expert, Catalogue de la bibliothèque musicale de M. J.B. W. (Paris, 1908).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire