Fernand HALPHEN

Halphen studied the violin with Marsick and took private lessons with Fauré before entering the composition class at the Paris Conservatoire in 1891. A student first of Ernest Guiraud then, after his death, of Massenet, he obtained a second prize in the Prix de Rome competition in 1896 with his cantata Mélusine. Inclined towards intimist moods in the spirit of Fauré, he composed numerous chamber works (including a fine Sonata for violin and piano in C sharp minor) and some mélodies or art songs to poems by Leconte de Lisle, Gautier, Verlaine, Prudhomme, Samain, Baudelaire, Silvestre, as well as Ronsard. His catalogue, which numbers about five hundred works, also includes a Symphony in C minor (1898), the pantomime Hagoseida (1890), the ballet Le Réveil du faune (undated), and an Andante religioso “d’après un thème hébraïque” for cello and piano (1913). The Cor fleuri, a féerie lyrique in one act, was premiered on 10 May 1904 at the Opéra-Comique. Halphen was also renowned for his support of the development of children’s music education and for his activities as a patron, made possible by his family origins: his mother belonged to the Stern family of bankers, and his father was an engineer and diamond merchant (he gave him a Stradivarius as a reward for obtaining his Prix de Rome!). During the Great War, he conducted the regimental band of the 13th territorial infantry. He died an untimely death from diphtheria. Respecting his last wishes, his widow created a foundation to help students of composition at the Paris Conservatoire.