Francisque Darcieux
Francois Darcieux was born on 19 April 1880 in Saint-Genis-Laval (France). For unknown reasons he is today best known under the name Francisque Darcieux. He studied at the Schola Cantorum in Paris under Vincent d'Indy who encouraged him to work on the folk songs of his home region. So Francisque Darcieux collected numerous regional songs and Christmas carols, harmonized them for choir or created piano accompaniments. Many of these songs were published by different Franch publishing houses like Leduc, Lemoine, Rouart or Hamelle to name just a few.
Francisque Darcieux also composed his own original works. His work catalogue contains 50 orchestral compositions, among them a symphony, the symphonic poems "Carillons dans la nuit", "Bretagne" , "Seville", "Dans le parc enchante" and "Impressions d'Alsace". He composed several large operas and stage works like "Le Mont Saint-Michel", "Ecce Homo", "Fossette", "Le Petit Reporter" and "Odristix" as well as smaller one or two act pieces, chamber music, songs and piano music.
In World War I Francisque Darcieux was drafted for military service and due to his age served in the "Regiment d'infanterie territoriale" (RIT), a military unit that did not fight at the front line but helped to protect and organise the structures behind the front. Francisque Darcieux became bandmaster of his regiment and after the return of Alsace to France in 1918 helped to organise other military bands there.
In the 1930s Francisque Darcieux was director of several choirs, among them the “Cercle chorale des Chemins de fer de l'Etat” made up of 100 singing railway workers, the “Cercle chorale Parisien” and “Oeuvre de la Chanson Française”. In 1936 Francisque Darcieux became head of the conservatory of Clermont-Ferrand, a position he held until his passing in 1951.
Francisque Darcieux received several awards and merits for his musical achievements, most notably the Knight of the Legion of Honour in 1936.
Francique Darcieux died on 2 August 1951 in Paris (France).
In my possession is the autograph manuscript of the song "La Mort des Roses" for voice and piano by Francisque Darcieux. The work was composed in March 1912 according to the manuscript. The work sets a poem by Pierre Aguetant (1890-1940) to music.
