David, Félicien |
| COMPOSER (FRANCE) |
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BORN 13 Apr 1810, Cadenet, Vaucluse - DIED 29 Aug 1876, Le Pecq, Yvelines GRAVE LOCATION Le Pecq, Yvelines: Cimetière, Rue du Souvenir |
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In his youth, Félicient David was a disciple of C.H. de Rouvroy, a utopian socialist who founded the Saint-Simon sect. In 1825 he attended the jesuit school Saint-Louis in Aix-enProvence, but in 1828 the jesuit schools were closed. In 1830 he moved from Aix-en-Provence to Paris, where he took lessons at the conservatory, where he studied under Millault and Benoist. He rejoined the Saint-Simon sect in 1831 and became their official composer. A visit to the Middle East hugely influenced his work. He left in 1833 and stayed for two years in Cairo. His oratorio "Le Désert" (1844) was an instant success. Other remarkable works were the oratorio "Moïse au Sinai" (1846) and the opera "Lalla-Roukh" (1862). In 1869 he succeeded Berlioz at the Institute and Library of the Conservatory in Paris. The last years of his live he lived with the widow of one of his friends, Madame T. Tastet. |
| Images |
 The grave of Félicien David at the cemetery of Le Pecq, Yvelines. Picture by Androom (18 Nov 2006) |
Sources • Beyern, Bertrand, Guide des Cimetières en France, Le Cherche Midi Éditeur, Paris, 1994 • Félicien David - Wikipedia (EN) • David Félicien-César (1810-1876) |
