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
The spreadsheet below 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.
| 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) |
- |
| 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) |
| 1991 |
Marche, for trumpet and piano (unpublished) |
• autograph fair copy |
| 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:
Druckversion 