Claude Pascal

Claude Pascal was born on 19 February 1921 in Paris (France). He received piano lessons from the ago of five and entered the Paris Conservatory already at the age of 10. His musical abilities at this early age were that impressive, that Henri Rabaud - at that time director of the Paris Conservatory - recommended Claude Pascal to the conductor Walter Straram. And so a short-lived singing career started for Claude Pascal. He performed as Yniold in Debussy's "Palleas et Melisande" under Straram in 1933 and later in Schubert's "Erlkönig" with Georges Thill and Henry Etcheverry under the baton of Eugene Bigot. Claude Pascal also impressed Georges Truc, the head of the record label Columbia, who made several recordings with him of works by Debussy, Gabriel Grovlez and Robert de Fragny.

After this short intermezzo Claude Pascal continued his studies at the Paris Conservatory. His teachers were Jean Gallon (harmony), Noel Gallon (counterpoint), Henri Busser (composition), Louis Laloy (music history) and Charles Münch (conducting). He also took piano lessons with Yves Nat and conducting with Roger Desormiere and Louis Fourestier. Claude Pascal received several awards for his studies, but the breakthrough as a composer came in 1943 and 1945 when he first received the "Premier Second Grand Prix de Rome" for his cantata "Icare" and then the "Premier Premier Grand Prix de Rome" for his cantata "La Farce du Contrebandier". From 1946 to 1949 a stay at the Villa Medici in Rome followed where he became close friends with Henri Dutilleux, Raymond Gallois-Montbrun, Genevieve Joy or the architect Jean Dubuisson. The picture above dates from the time at the Villa Medici and shows from left to right: Raymond Gallois-Montbrun, Genevieve Joy, Claude Pascal, Gwen Rooke (the later wife of Claude Pascal) and Henri Dutilleux.

After his return to Paris Claude Pascal was first chorus master at the Opera-Comique, but already in 1952 became professor for sightreading at the conservatory and in 1965 professor for course guidance and asistant to the director Raymond Gallois-Montbrun. Claude Pascal held these positions until his retirement in 1987. From 1965 to 1967 Claude Pascal was also artist director of the recording label Club Francais du Disque. During this time he orchestrated the "Art of Fugue" in collaboration with Marcel Bitsch which was performed and recorded by the Saarland Radio Chamber Orchestra under Karl Ristenpart. This recording received the "Grand Prix de l'Académie du disque" in 1967. Thereupon Claude Pascal worked also as a music critic for the newspaper "Figaro" from 1969 to 1979 and as an expert for music copy right from 1983 to 1991 at the appellate court in Paris.

Claude Pascal died on 28 February 2017 in Paris (France).

Among the compositions by Claude Pascal are more than 100 works of nearly all genres. The autograph manuscripts for these works are archived both at the Bibliotheque Nationale de France (BNF) and in my archive. Below I present a detailed work catalogue of Claude Pascal. Each composition also shows which kind of documents are in my archive. If I do not hold any manuscripts of a work, they are most likely preserved at the BNF.

Work catalogue and archive finding aid

Below one can find a spreadsheet that shows information about the compositions by Claude Pascal. It lists the year, then the title of the work, the instrumentation and if it was published. In the final column one can find information about the documents in my archive that are connected to the composition.

But at first I present here scores for several compositions by Claude Pascal which were unpublished before. I would like to thank the Pascal family for their permission to publish these works:

Pour bercer, pour piano (1939)

Pascal_PourBercer.pdf
PDF-Dokument [79.0 KB]

Sonatine pour piano et basson (1940)

Pascal_SonatineBsnPno.pdf
PDF-Dokument [448.1 KB]

Prelude et Fugue, pour trio d'anches (1941):

Pascal_PreludeEtFugue.pdf
PDF-Dokument [357.3 KB]

Jardin zoologique, pieces enfantines pour piano (1949):

Pascal_JardinZoologique.pdf
PDF-Dokument [148.2 KB]

Trois pieces pour piano sur des themes anglais, polonais et francais:

Pascal_TroisPieces.pdf
PDF-Dokument [300.8 KB]

A une femme morte, piece pour 3 voix de femmes et cor anglais (1940):

Pascal_AUneFemmeMorte.pdf
PDF-Dokument [97.6 KB]

A la taverne, pour voix, choeur et orchestre (1942):

Pascal_A_la_taverne.pdf
PDF-Dokument [406.8 KB]

Actualites France-Libre, pour orchestre (1944):

Pascal_ActualitesFranceLibre.pdf
PDF-Dokument [413.7 KB]

Paraphrase. Arrangement sur des themes de Richard Wagner, pour choeur et orchestre (1952):

Pascal_ParaphraseSurWagner.pdf
PDF-Dokument [1.2 MB]

Preambule et Fugue, pour orchestre (1951):

Pascal_Preambule_et_Fugue.pdf
PDF-Dokument [1.1 MB]

Divertissement, pour orchestre (1942):

Pascal_Divertissement.pdf
PDF-Dokument [1.1 MB]

Marche, pour trompette et piano (1989):

Pascal_Marche.pdf
PDF-Dokument [86.5 KB]

And here the spreadsheet with all compositions by Claude Pascal, and information which documents for which composition are part of my archive:

1932	Un soir de trente janvier, for piano (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy • autograph working manuscript
1932	Chant, for voice and piano text by Maurice Chevrier (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy
1932	Concerto (for piano?), incomplete (unpublished)	• autograph sketches
1938	Le Rideau de Ma Voisine, for voice and piano text by Alfred de Mussat (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy
1938	[Untitled], for piano (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy
1939	Barques celestes, for 3 voices and 2 pianos text by Alfred Drouin (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy
1939	La jeune fille a la chevre, for voice and piano text by Maurice Chevrier (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy
1939	Pour bercer, for piano (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy
1940	Sonatine for piano and bassoon (unpublished)	• autograph sketches • autograph fair copy
1940	S‘il en aime une autre, for voice and piano (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy
1940	A une femme morte, for 3 female voices and cor anglais text by Pierre de Ronsard (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy
1940	Un pauvre jeune berger, for voice and piano text by Paul Verlaine (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy • autograph fair copy of English version
1941	Prelude et Fugue, for reed trio (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy
1942	Pygmalion delivre, for 3 voices and orchestra contestant for the Prix de Rome (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy of full score • autograph fair copy of piano reduction
1942	A la Taverne, for voice, choir and orchestra (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy of full score • autograph fair copy of piano reduction
1942	Les Hommes devant l‘Etoile oratorio pour le temps de Noel for voices, narrator and orchestra (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy of full score
1942	Un petit roseau m‘a suffi, for choir and orchestra text by Henri de Regnier (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy of full score
1942	Divertissement for orchestra (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy of full score
1943	String quartet (Durand)	-
1943	Icare, cantata for voices and orchestra contestant for the Prix de Rome (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy of full score • autograph fair copy of piano reduction
1943	Ophelia, for 3 voices and piano text by Arthur Rimbaud (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy • autograph working manuscript
1943	Le voyage de Thesee, pour orchestre (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy of full score • autograph working manuscript of piano reduction
1944	Octet for wind instruments (Durand)	• autograph working manuscript of the four movements • autograph sketches for an unused movement titled "Scherzo"
1944	Louise de la Misericorde, cantata for voices and orchestra contestant for the Prix de Rome (unpublished)	• autograph fair copies of parts in piano reduction: roles of Montespan, Roi and Louise La Valliere • autograph sketches
1944	Danse de Nymphes, for voice and piano text by Tristan Dereme (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy
1944	Actualites France-Libre, for orchestra (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy of full score
1944	Valse for piano (unpublished)	• autograph working manuscript
1944	Guignol (for ?), incomplete (unpublished)	• 3 small pieces for piano in autograph fair copies: Pas de deux, Ouverture et Scene I, and an untitled one.
1945	l‘Album de Lisette et Poulot, for piano (Durand)	• autograph fair copy • printed score
1945	Sonnet (for choir and piano?), incomplete text by Theophile Gautier	• autograph working manuscript
1945	La Farce du Contrebandier, cantata for voices and orchestra contestant for the Prix de Rome (Durand)	• printed score
1946	Hamlet, for orchestra adaption for radio by R. Laforgue & B. Horowicz (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy of full score • autograph sketches
1946	Cesar et Cleopatra, for ensemble adaption for radio by Pierre Barbier after the play by B. Shaw (unpublished)	• autograph working manuscript
1946	La Cigale et la Fourmi, ballet for one part, for piano (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy
1946	Le Dompteur, ballet, for piano (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy
1947	Sonatine for alto saxophone and piano (Durand)	• autograph working manuscript • printed score
1947	Sonata for violin and piano No.1 (Durand)	• printed score
1947	Rondo for piano (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy
1949	Suite militaire, for orchestra (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy of full score
1949	Jardin zoologique, pieces for children for piano (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy
1950	Air variee, for contrabass and piano (Durand)	-
1950	Le Bal improvise - Danses d‘hier et d‘aujourd‘hui, for piano (Durand)	-
1950	Deux pieces faciles, for piano (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy
1950	Neuf signaux de Pause, ecrits pour la Radiodiffusion Francaise, for ensemble (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy of full score
1951	Pop-corn, for violin and piano (Durand)	• autograph fair copy
1951	Preambule et Fugue, for orchestra (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy of full score • autograph sketches
1951	Sylvie, for voice and orchestra (film music?) (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy of full score
1951	Une Americain a Venice, ballet, incomplete based on a work by J.L.Kahn (unpublished)	• autograph fair copies of two sections: „Slow“ and „Chanson italienne“ for piano • autograph story board
1952	Toccata for piano (Durand)	• autograph fair copy
1952	Pastorale heroique, for trombone and piano (Durand)	-
1952	Piece for oboe and piano (Durand)	-
1952	Sonatine for violin and piano (Durand)	-
1952	12 chansons francaises, for 3 voices (Durand)	-
1952	Paraphrase sur des themes de Richard Wagner, for orchestra (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy of full score
1953	Impromptu, for alto saxophone and piano (Durand)	-
1956	Sans savoir ou, for voice and piano music by "Claude Pascal dit Mancelles" text by Valory	• autograph fair copy
1957	Le Cahier du lecteur, ou la recreation pianistique, for piano (Durand)	-
1958	Improvisation en forme de canon, for trombone and piano (Durand)	• autograph working manuscript
1958	Concerto for piano and chamber orchestra (Durand)	• autograph fair copy of piano reduction • printed score
1958	Sonate en 6 minutes 30, for tuba (or bass trombone or saxhorn) and piano (Durand)	-
1959	Concerto for cello and orchestra (Durand)	• autograph fair copy of full score • printed score
1959	25 chansons francaises, for 2 voices (Durand)	-
1960	Music for harp (Durand)	-
1961	Saxophone quartet (Durand)	• copy of autograph
1961	Ouverture pour un conte de fees, for orchestra (Durand)	-
1962	Portraits d'enfants, for piano (Durand)	• printed score
1963	Sonata for violin and piano No.2 (Durand)
1963	Ut ou Do, for children's choir (Durand)	• autograph fair copy
1963	Sonata for horn and piano (Durand)	-
1964	Trois legendes, for clarinet et piano (Durand)	-
1965	Six pieces variees, for flute and piano (Durand)	-
1965	Six pieces variees, for clarinet and piano (Durand)	-
1965	Six pieces variees, for trumpet and piano (Durand)	-
1965	Berceuse de l'oiseau blesse, for piano (Durand)	• autograph fair copy
1966	Grave et Presto, for cello and piano (Durand)	-
1966	Sonate breve, for oboe and piano (Durand)	-
1967	Concerto for harp and orchestra (Durand)	-
1967	Orchestration of Art of Fugue by Bach in collaboration with Marcel Bitsch (Durand)	• autograph working manuscript • printed full score
1969	Douze dechiffrages, for piano (Durand)	-
1969	Prelude et Fugue, for piano (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy
1970	Suite for piano (Durand)	-
1970	Pendubidu, ronde du folklore francais, for 4 mixed voices (Durand)	-
1971	La Stephanie n‘est pas fanny, for voice and piano (unpublished)	• copy of autograph
1972	Sonata for cello and piano (Durand)	• autograph fair copy
1977	Orchestration of 14 canons by Bach BWV 1087 in collaboration with Marcel Bitsch (unpublished	• autograph fair copy • autograph working manuscript • autograph sketches
1980	Quatre etudes, for piano (Durand)	• copy of autograph
1980	Triptyque ferroviaire, for children's choir (A Coeur Joie)	• autograph fair copy
1980	Portrait de l'oiseau-qui-n'existe-pas, for voice and piano (Durand)	• autograph fair copy (baritone version) • copy of autograph (soprano version)
1981	L'invitation aux voyages, for choir (A Coeur Joie)	• autograph fair copy
1981	Cousins en vacances - 12 petits morceaux tres faciles sur 5 notes, for piano (Durand)	-
1981	Alleluia pour un mariage, for ensemble (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy • autograph working manuscript
1981	10 canons for choir (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy
1982	Sonatine for piano (Durand)	• copy of autograph
1982	Suite francaise, for cello (Durand)	-
1982	J'ai voulu te rejoindre, for voice and piano (unpublished)	-
1983	Romance et rondo, for 2 violas (unpublished)	• copy of autograph
1983	En passant de la Lorraine a la crapette, for voice and piano (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy
1985	Elegie for organ (Durand)	• autograph fair copy
1985	4 Chansons, for voice and piano text by Victor Hugo (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy
1985	Germaine, for 3 voices (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy
1985	Petite symphonie pour un grand anniversaire, for 12 musicians (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy of full score
1986	Danse des lutins, for flute and piano (Combre)	-
1986	Seduction, for voice and piano (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy
1986	Offertoire, for organ (Combre)	• incomplete autograph fair copy
1987	Felicite, for cello and piano (Combre)	• copy of autograph
1987	Planetarium, for alto saxophone and piano (Combre)	-
1987	Histoire de canard, for voice and piano text by Claude Pascal (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy
1987	Le ronde des lapins, for violin and cello (unpublished)	• copy of autograph
1988	Carnet de notes - 74 progressive piano pieces in 6 volumes (Combre)	-
1988	Meandres, for bassoon and piano (Combre)	-
1988	Recreation, for clarinet and piano (Combre)	-
1989	Capriccio, for clarinet (Billaudot)	-
1989	Marche, for trumpet and piano (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy
1990	Sonata for violin alone (Combre)	-
1990	Reflets, for oboe and piano (Combre)	-
1991	60 petites etudes, for piano (Combre)	-
1991	Four quartets for clarinets (Billaudot)	-
1991	Trois inventions, for quartet of bamboo flutes (or recorders or reed instruments) (Zurfluh)	• autograph fair copy (only 1st mvt) • copy of autograph (only 2nd mvt)
1992	Framboise et Amandinee, les jumelles de l'espace, children's opera (Combre)	-
1992	Piano-retro, for piano (Combre)	-
1992	Prelude et fugue ou Le jeu de la quarte, for ensemble of 12 saxophones (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy
1993	Farfelettes, for children's choir and one or two instruments (Combre)	-
1993	Paraphrase sur "The Entertainer", for clarinet (or alto saxophone, or flute, or violin) and piano (Combre)	• autograph fair copy
1993	Scherzetto, for bamboo flute quartet (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy
1995	Scherzetto for saxophone quartet (Combre)	• autograph fair copy of early version • copy of autograph of final version
1996	Concerto for flute and string orchestra (Combre)	-
1997	Sonata for horn alone (Combre)	-
1997	Trio en fa, for soprano or tenor recorder (Combre)	-
1998	Quatre farfelettes, for voice and piano (Combre)	-
1998	Trois etudes-caprices, for piano 4-hands (Combre)	-
1999	Partita for alto saxophone and piano (Combre)	-
2001	Dans mes cordes, for violin and piano (Combre)	-
2001	Airs varies, for clarinet and piano (Combre)	-
2002	Bleu, for clarinet and piano (Combre)	-
2002	Sonata for 2 flutes (Combre)	-
2002	Equinoxe, for horn and piano (Combre)	-
2002	Suite choreographique, for saxophone quartet (unpublished)	-
2002	Serenade for guitar (Combre)	-
2002	Notturno for violin and piano (Combre)	-
2003	Tendre valse, for alto saxophone and piano (Combre)	-
2003	Top-Model et Cie, fo voice and piano (unpublished)	-
2003	Elements de solfege, for voice and piano (unpublished)	-
2003	Allegro, Choral et Fugato, for horn quartet (Combre)	-
2004	Plages, for recorder and piano (Combre)	-
2005	Rituel tibetain, for horn quartet (unpublished)	-
2005	Concerto for alto saxophone and orchestra (Combre)	-
2006	Deja 1 an!, for voice and piano text by Jean-Marie Manus	• copy of autograph
2007	Atout choeur, for mixed choir and organ or piano (unpublished)	-
2007	Entree pour un mariage - paraphrase sur la Marche nuptiale de Mendelssohn, for flute and organ (unpublished)	-
2009	[Untitled], for voice, clarinet, cimbalom, piano and strings text begins with "Me voici tres elegante" (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy
2010	Ricordanza, for cello and piano (Combre)	-
2012	A portee de mains, for piano (Sempre piu editions)	-
2012	Au-dessus des nuages, for bassoon and piano (Sempre piu editions)	-
2012	"C'est moi j'arrive" dit la cle de fa, for piano (Sempre piu editions)	• incomplete copy of autograph
2012	Communion, for organ (Sempre piu editions)	-
2013	Marche sans tambour mais avec trompette, for trumpet and piano (Sempre piu editions)	-
2014	Volte-face, for oboe and piano (Sempre piu editions)	-
2014	Cordes a vide, for violin and viola (Sempre piu editions)	-
2014	Deux etudes-tableaux, for violin (Sempre piu editions)	-
????	Belle, allons legerement, for 3 voices (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy
????	Morceau de dechiffrage, for piano (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy
????	Villon qui feint se meurt (composition for radio) text by Marie Recordaire (unpublished)	autograph working copy, incomplete
????	L‘odyssee fantastique de Rene Caille, pour orchestre (composition for radio) (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy
????	Pour Bonne-maman et Grand-pere melodie de Anne-Isabelle Michelin harmonisation de Claude Pascal (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy (without text)
????	Les vacances, for ? (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy of the parts "Gaston Rey" and "role enfant" • autograph working manuscript, incomplete
????	La Perle, (for piano?) (unpublished)	• autograph working manuscript, incomplete
????	Marion, for voice and piano text by Paul Barboni (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy
????	Concertino for piano, strings and trumpet (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy of piano reduction, only 1st mvt
????	Le Rhone, (music for a documentary?) (unpublished)	• autograph sketches
????	Mai, for voice and piano text by Guillaume Apollinaire (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy • autograph working manuscript
????	Aubade, for voice and piano text by Guillaume Apollinaire (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy • autograph working manuscript
????	La Chasse, for mixed choir and piano text by Jose-Maria de Heredia (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy
????	[Untitled], for choir Christmas song in Englissh, begins with: "Winter whitens vale and hill" (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy
????	Trois pieces pour piano sur des themes anglais, polonais et francais, for piano (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy
????	[Untitled], for piano (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy
????	[Untitled], for choir 2 works beginning with: „Sous le ciel lave couleur de cafard“ and „C‘etait un petit chien de la place Pigalle“ (unpublished)	• autograph fair copy
????	28 small piano pieces. Could be parts of „Le Cahier du lecteur“ (1958) or „Carnet de notes“ (1988) or "60 petits etudes" (1991) (unpublished)	• autograph working manuscript

Furthermore the archive contains exercises from Claude Pascal's years of study. That includes dozens of own harmony practices and fugues, but also results of other composers from earlier years or by fellow students. Claude Pascal created two large books with copies of these small exercises which include his own works as well as realisations by Claude Cassou, Valerie Hamilton, Roger Fayeulle, Paul Bonneau, Jacqueline Pangnier, Jean Gallon, Georges Caussade, Henri Challan, Henri Dutilleux and Raymond Gallois-Montbrun.

Also included are dozens of exercises which Claude Pascal later presented to his students. This includes exercises for sight reading (dechiffrage), solfege, and harmonics as well as compositions for annual awards of the Paris conservatory for violin, cello, oboe, organ and other instruments. Claude Pascal added also some (probably impressive) results of his students. Included are fugues on a theme by Claude Pascal composed in 1965 by Alain Jeanneret and Koichi Uzaki and two results on harmony exercises by Akio Yashino from 1954.

In addition to the manuscripts and printed scores of his own compositions the archive also contains a few scores by other composers with dedications to Claude Pascal:

Henri Dutilleux: Tout un monde lointain, pour violoncelle et orchestre
"A toi, mon cher Claude - en pensant a Slava - en souvenir de mistral d'Aix et des 'houles internationales' que durent affronter concerto et sonate! En pensant surtout au chaleureux soutien que tu apportes a cette musique - Affectueusement Henri 23/5/73"
Pierre Sancan: Berceuse pour piano
"Pour te bercer mon enfant!... Hommage inattendu... at attendu de l'auteur. Affectueusement a toi, Pierre Sancan"
Pierre Sancan: Toccata pour piano
"Pour toi mon vieux Clo-Clo, mon ami, mon pere, cette vieille 'Toccata' des 'cents familles' que tu connais si bien et que je joue si mal... (Rassure toi elle n'est pas a orchestrer...). Avec mon grande et sincere affection, Pierre Sancan"
Jean Gallon: Improvisation (Etude de sonorite) pour piano
"A Claude Pascal, Bien affectueusement, Gallon 22 mars 1949"
Gabriel Grovlez: Deuxieme Recueil de Chanssons enfantines - No.1 Chanson de la Culotte
"A Claude Pascal qui chante delicieusement, amicalement Gabriel Grovlez Oct. 1933"

And the archive includes a few poster of concerts including works or performances by Claude Pascal. The Most notable example is the poster of the world premiere performance of "Le Farce du Contrebandier" which brought him the Prix de Rome in 1945: