Jean Huré

Born in Gien, Loiret, Huré studied anthropology, composition, improvisation and medieval music at the École Saint-Maurille in Angers and served as organist at the cathedral in the city. In 1895 he moved to Paris, where he was advised by Charles-Marie Widor and Charles Koechlin to study at the Conservatory. Huré preferred to live an independent life.[1]

From 1910 he taught at the École Normale Supérieure, where Yves Nat and Manuel Rosenthal were among his students. In 1911 he helped found the Paris Mozart Society; he was also a member of the short-lived Association des Compositeurs Bretons during 1912–14. He worked as organist at the churches of Notre-Dame-des-Blancs-Manteaux, Saint-Martin-des-Champs and Saint-Séverin between 1911 and 1914. From 1924 he was appointed successor to Lucien Grandjany at Sacré-Cœur and from 1926 as the successor to Eugene Gigout at Saint-Augustin. Between 1924 and 1926 he edited and published a monthly journal called L'Orgue et les Organistes. Huré died in Paris.[2]

In addition to a number of organ works Huré composed a comic opera and a ballet, three symphonies and chamber works. In 2010 a CD with works by Huré was recorded, featuring a four-movement sonata for violin and piano and a piano quintet performed by the Quatuor Louvigny and pianist Marie-Josephe Jude.[3]

He died in Paris in 1930.

Stage

• Te Deum: extrait de Jeanne d'Arc, poème théâtral (1895); words by A. Vincent
• La Cathédrale (1910)
• Au bois sacré, Ballet in 1 act (1921)
• Le Rajah de Mysore, Operetta

Orchestral

• Symphony No. 1 (1896)
• Symphony No. 2 (1897)
• Symphony No. 3 (1903)
• Poèmes enfantins for chamber orchestra (1906)
• Nocturne (Paris: A.Z. Mathot, 1908)
• Prélude symphonique for orchestra

Concertante

• Air for violin or cello and orchestra (1902)
• Nocturne for piano and orchestra (1903)
• Andante for alto saxophone, string orchestra, harp, timpani and organ (1915)
• Concertstück for saxophone and orchestra
• Concerto for cello and orchestra (1929)
• Concerto for violin and orchestra

Chamber music

• Suite sur des Chants bretons for violin, cello and piano or harp (1898; Paris: A.Z. Mathot, 1913)
• Sonata in C minor for violin and piano (1900–1901)
• Petite chanson for cello (or viola) and piano (1901)
• Air in F major for cello and piano or organ (1901)
• Sonata No. 1 in F♯ minor for cello and piano (1903; Paris: A. Z. Mathot, 1914)
• Sonata for violin and piano (c. 1905)
• Sonata No. 2 in F major for cello and piano (1906)
• Sonatine in G major for violin and piano (1907; Paris: A.Z. Mathot, 1909)
• Piano Quintet (1907–08; Paris: A.Z. Mathot, 1914)
• Sonata No. 3 in F♯ major for cello and piano (1909)
• String Quartet No. 1 in C major (1913–1917)
• Prélude for violin (or cello) and organ
• Sérénade en trio for violin, cello and piano (1920)
• Sonata for violin and piano (1920)
• String Quartet No. 2 (Paris: M. Sénart, 1921)
• Sonata No. 4 for cello and piano (1924)

Organ

• Interlude-élévation for organ or harmonium (1911)
• Communion pour une Messe de Minuit à Noël (Communion on a Noel: Offertory for Midnight Mass) (1913)
• Prélude pour une messe Pontificale (1915)

Piano

• Poèmes Enfantin (1906)
• Jacques et Jacqueline (Paris: A. Z. Mathot, ca 1910; Musica, July 1912, Pierre Lafitte et Cie)
• Sonata No. 1 in F minor for piano (or harp) (1907; Paris: A. Z. Mathot, 1913)
• Sonata No. 2 (1916)

Vocal

• Élégie for voice, cello and piano (Paris: A. Z. Mathot, 1905); words by René de Brédenbec
• Te Deum for soprano, chorus and organ (Paris: A. Z. Mathot, 1907)
• Sept chantons de Bretagne for voice and piano (Paris: A. Z. Mathot, 1910)
• Ave Maria for 2 female voices (1924; Paris: Éditions musicales de la Schola cantorum et de la Procure générale de musique, 1956)
• L'Âme en peine for 4 voices (1925)
• 4 Lettres de femmes for voice and piano (1928)
• 4 Poèmes for voice and piano (1929); words by Arnould Grémilly
• Trois Chansons monodiques for solo voice (1930); words by André Spire
• Belle, j'entends bien tourner la meule du moulin for voice and chamber orchestra

Literary

• Chansons et danses bretonnes précédées d'une étude sur la monodie populaire (Angers, 1902)
• Dogmes musicaux (Le Monde musical, Paris, 1909)
• Technique du piano (Paris, 1909)
• Introduction à la technique du piano (Paris, 1910)
• Défense et illustration de la musique française (Angers, 1915)
• La Technique de l'orgue (Paris, 1918)
• L'Esthétique de l'orgue (Paris: Sénart, 1923)
• Saint Augustin musicien (Paris: Sénart, 1924)

• Georges Migot: Jean Huré (Paris: Sénart, 1926)
• Jean Bonfils: Jean Huré (Kassel: Bärenreiter, 1957)

• Works by Jean Huré at the International Music Score Library Project.