Edouard Mathe

Edouard Mathe was born on 6 April 1863 in Versailles (France). His mother was a piano teacher and so Edouard Mathe received piano lessons from an early age. At the age of nine he performed at the organ of the Cathedral in Versailles. At the age of 11 Edouard Mathe enrolled at the Paris conservatory and studied under Antonin Marmontel, Georges Mathias and Jules Massenet. There he received a first prize in piano.

After his studies Edouard Mathe started a career as a pianist. But already in 1882 Ambroise Thomas, the director of the Paris conservatory, asked him to fulfill the position as director at the Mauritius conservatory. Edouard Mathe agreed and moved to Mauritius. There he composed music, but fell into oblivion as a musician in Europe. In 1897 Edouard Mathe returned to France because he could not tolerate the tropical climate anymore. He first worked as a piano teacher at the Versailles conservatory. Since 1900 Edouard Mathe earned a living as piano accompanist at different cabarets in Montmartre. There he met the theatre director Paul Franck. In the following years Edouard Mathe became the favourite composer of Paul Franck and wrote the music for dozens of plays for him.

Edouard Mathe died on 4 December 1936 in Versailles (France).

The work catalogue of Edouard Mathe consists of many compositions for stage works composed since 1900. In addition he composed several operettas, best known is his "Les Linottes" from 1923. And Edouard Mathe wrote some piano works and many songs.

In my possession are two autograph manuscripts by Edouard Mathe. The manuscripts are songs for voice and piano and both set poems by Gabriel Montoya to music. The one song is titled "Brunehild", the other song "Dans la coulisse". In addition I also own a printed score of the song "Pour tes etrennes", also on words by Gabriel Montoya and published by Hachette in 1903.