Marguerite Debrie
Marguerite Debrie was born on 9 June 1879 in Paris (France). Her father was a sculptor, and it appears that the children received musical training from an early age, as her sister Henriette Debrie also went on to become a professionally trained pianist. From 1890 onwards, Marguerite Debrie studied piano at the Paris Conservatoire under Raoul Pugno and Auguste Chapuis, graduating in 1900 with a Premier Prix in piano.
Following her studies, Marguerite Debrie appears to have worked primarily as a piano teacher, as contemporary newspapers suggest that she performed in public only occasionally. Nevertheless, she was clearly a respected musician, regularly collaborating with distinguished artists over several decades. Among those she accompanied were the violinist Paulin Gaillard (first violinist of the Opera-Comique, in 1901), the violinist Lucien Capet (1903), the pianist Marthe Dron (1908), the violinist Yvonne Astruc and the soprano Speranza Calo-Seailles (1920), as well as the cellist Andre Bourdron (1931).
In addition to her pedagogical and collaborative work, Marguerite Debrie also composed her own music, focusing mainly on songs and chamber works. In 1912, her "Douze petites pieces pour piano" - a collection of twelve beginner-level piano pieces - was published in Paris by Mathot. Her compositions were also performed in concerts organised by the "Societe musicale independante" (whose founding members included Maurice Ravel, Alfredo Casella, Charles Koechlin, Émile Vuillermoz, and Florent Schmitt) in 1910 and 1912.
In 1920, Moritz Moszkowski dedicated his Esquisses techniques, Op. 97, to Marguerite Debrie and her sister Henriette. This collection of sixteen piano studies, each addressing a specific technical challenge, reflects Marguerite Debrie’s high standing as both a pianist and pedagogue in early 20th-century Paris.
There is no documented information about Marguerite Debrie’s activities during World War II; however, it appears that she left Paris around that time and settled in Bourron-Marlotte, where she continued to work as a piano teacher for many years.
Marguerite Debrie died in 1968 in Bourron-Marlotte (France).
Marguerite Debrie Archive
In my possession are several autograph manuscripts of compositions by Marguerite Debrie. My archive contains the following works:
- Six pieces enfantines pour piano & Six pieces pour piano (1911-12)
later published under the title "Douze petites pieces" - Bercement, for piano (dedicated to Clemence Oberle, a pianist)
- song cycle (1903)
there are 3 manuscripts, all dated 1903 and numbered 5, 6 and 7 at the top corner. It is very likely that these belongs to a larger song cycle from that year. I have no information about the missing songs. My manuscripts are:
5) Eventail d'Automne, for voice and piano
poem by a Chinese poet "Ton-Ton", translated by Marcel Monier and dedicated to "Madame Lagarde"
6) Les grands soirs, for voice and piano
text by Lucien Capet, dedicated to "Marie Antoinette Forest de Lemps" (a pianist, student of Juliette Toutain)
7) Legende, for voice and piano
poem by Lucien Capet, originally titled "Le sol etait jonche de feuilles", dedicated to Madame Lucien Capet - Tableau, for voice and piano (1901, poem by Achille Cesbron)
- Soleil malade, for voice and piano (poem by Rene Lenormand fils, dedicated to Eugene Zak)
- La Chanson des Girouttes, for voice and piano (poem by Jerome Doucet)
- Les heures claires, for voice and piano (poem by Emile Verhaeren)
- song cycle (1930)
a set of 10 songs for voice and piano, all composed in 1930, numbered 1 to 10 on each song and without any information about the authors of the texts:
1) La fleur de pecher
2) L'orage favorable
3) Petite fete
4) Les trois princesses
5) La chanson du chagrin
6) Ki-Fong
7) Encore!
8) Voeu
9) Nous vieillirons ensemble
10) L'Adieu
1) Soleil malade
The song "Soleil malade" for voice and piano was composed ca. 1905. It sets a poem by Rene Lenormand fils to music and the work is dedicated to painter Eugene Zak. The work was published by "Le Monde Musical" in 1905. In addition to the autograph manuscript I also own a copy of the printed score.
2) Tableau
The song "Tableau" for voice and piano was composed in 1901. It sets a poem by French painter Achille Cesbron to music and it seems likely that the described roses were indeed a painting (=tableau) by him.
The connection to Achille Cesbron - who also painted a portrait of Marguerite Debrie - as well as the dedication to the painter Eugene Zak in the song "Soleil malade" mentioned above, suggests that Marguerite Debrie was part of the artistic circles of Paris at the fin de siecle.
3) Bercement
The work "Bercement" is a small piece for piano. I have no information when it was composed. But the work is dedicated to Clemence Oberle, a French pianist who was mainly active between 1900 and 1915. So the composition very likely dates from that time.
4) 3 songs
Part of the collection are also three manuscripts of songs, all on identical sheet music, all composed 1903 and numbered 5, 6 and 7 in the top corner of the first page. My explanation is that these songs belong to a larger cycle of which No. 1 to 4 (and possibly 8 and more) are missing. But that is only my interpretation and might be wrong. Nevertheless I have decided to put these three songs together in a publication.
