DTodat de STverac: Musical Identity in Fin de SiFcle France

Best known for his piano music, Déodat de Séverac (18721921) also composed orchestral and vocal works, including opera, cantata and incidental music. His early works were influenced by Impressionist harmonies, church modes, cyclic techniques, folk-like melodies and Andalusian motives, though his style changed dramatically in 1907 when he began to include Catalan elements in his compositions. In this book, Robert Waters provides a much-needed study of the life and works of Séverac, focusing on the composer's regionalist philosophy. Séverac's engagement with folk music was not a patriotic gesture in the vein of nationalistic composers, but a way of expressing regional identity within France to counter the restrictive styles sanctioned by the Paris Conservatory. The book will appeal to those specializing in French music, European ethnic musics, piano music and French music history.