Duvernoy, Victor-Alphonse
Duvernoy, Victor-Alphonse
Duvernoy, Victor-Alphonse, French pianist and composer; b. Paris, Aug. 30,1842; d. there, March 7, 1907. He was a pupil of Bazin and Marmontel at the Paris Cons., taking the 1st prize for piano (1855). Together with Leonard, Stiehle, Trombetta, and Jacquard, he founded a series of chamber music concerts in 1869. He devoted his time otherwise to composing and teaching, and held a professorship at the Cons. For some 11 years, he was music critic of the Republique Frangaise. He was made a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor, and was an officer of public instruction. As a dramatic composer, he produced the opera Sardanapale (concert perf., Paris, 1882), the “scene lyrique” Cleopdtre, and the opera Helle (Paris, 1896). His symphonic poem La Tempete won the City of Paris prize in 1880. He also wrote a ballet, Bacchus (1902), an overture, Hernani, and much piano music.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire