You know, I adore Grieg (who was born on this date in 1843). But I can’t ignore Paul Gilson on the 150th anniversary of his birth.
Gilson was born in Brussels in 1865. He received his formal musical training there, at the Brussels Conservatory. However, prior to that, he was already composing works for orchestra and chorus. In 1889, he became a recipient of a Belgian Prix de Rome, which allowed him to travel to Bayreuth, Paris and Italy. You can hear the influence of Wagner in his music. He was also fond of the Russians.
He later taught at the conservatory, and in Antwerp. He resigned his professorships when he was appointed inspector of music education, a post he held for over two decades. He began to diversify by the age of 40 (about four years before his appointment). He composed less and wrote more ABOUT music. Still, over the course of his career, he managed to amass some 500 scores.
He is probably best known for his symphonic sketches known as “De Zee” (or, often, “La mer”). Gilson’s work predated Debussy’s masterpiece by a decade. Did Debussy know Gilson’s work? He had to. Follow the link, then click on the openings of the third and fourth movements.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjyorpKlqcg&list=PLfvNU__5CDp2824kFI_xzJYkRl9kTRyG3
There’s no question who created the stronger piece. Still, it’s an instructive reminder that masterworks are not created in a vacuum, and that even lesser composers often have more to contribute than may be at first perceived.
Happy birthday, Paul Gilson!
PHOTO: Okay at composing; terrible at tying ties