Jean Conte

Jean Conte was born on 12 May 1830 in Toulouse (France). Conte first attended the Toulouse conservatory. After outstanding results in violin and solfege he was sent to Paris, where he studied violin with Jean-Delphin Alard and Lambert Massart and musical composition with Michele Carafa. During his studies Jean Conte already worked as a conductor at the Theatre des Jeunes Eleves. In 1855 he won the Premier Grand Prix de Rome with his cantata "Acis et Galatee".
After his stay in Rome Jean Conte returned to Paris, but had no success with his new compositions. Therefore he made his living as a teacher at the music school of the Freres de Passy and in 1867 as a violist in the orchestra of the Paris Opera and the Orchestre de la Societe des Concerts du Conservatoire.
Jean Conte died on 1 April 1888 in Paris (France).

For a winner of the Premier Grand Prix de Rome the life of Jean Conte was unsuccessful in such a way that Louis Gallet, the librettist of Jean Conte‘s opera „Beppo“ (1874), wrote a long tragic memorial on him which was published in 1890 in two issues of „Le Menestrel“ (No. 39&40).
 

In his article Louis Gallet first bemoans the little output of successful composers from the Grand Prix de Rome in general. But he don‘t question the decisions of the jury of the competition. In his eyes the follow-up support to the stay at the Villa Medici in Rome is insufficient. While painters can create a lot of paintings during their stay and exhibit them later without much help, composers also create many compositions but later need performers to present them. Gallet critises that there is no such support for the composers in France. And so the prize winners come back after some years in the Villa Medici with a bag of compositions, but there are no opportunities to have them performed. And therefore most of the awarded composers cannot continue there intended career:

„Et c'est ainsi, pourrait-on dire, qu'en tendant chaque année aux jeunes compositeurs cet appât brillant du prix de Rome, on leur procure le moyen d'aller, durant trois ou quatre ans, se perfectionner, libres de tout souci, dans un art qu'au retour on ne leur donnera pas la possibilité d'exercer.
Il en est qui, philosophiquement, cherchent à s'en consoler: il en est qui fièrement en meurent; il en est, en plus petit nombre, qui s'en vengent: ils se font critiques d'art! Ce sont les plus malheureux.“

For Louis Gallet Jean Conte is the prime example of the failed Prix de Rome winner. After returning from Rome with several large compositions, none of them were performed and Jean Conte had to find a different work. He had to become a teacher at a music school and violinist in an orchestra, both works that Jean Conte did not satisfy. Louis Gallet describes him during the rehearsals for „Beppo“ in 1874 as follows:

„[..] dépaysé, ses dix-neuf ans de solitude, de silence, de stérilité pesaient évidemment sur lui d'un poids lourd. Il entrevoyait le grand abîme qui s'était, durant ces années, creusé entre lui et le monde présent. Comme le «mélancolique jeune homme» de la complainte, il méditait sur les tristes contretemps de la carrière et sur la précaire gloire des lauréats.“

And Gallet finally describes the minutes of the premiere of „Beppo“ watching Jean Conte behind the stage. He sees Jean Conte hopping, clicking his fingers, kneeling and dancing while watching his opera – supposing that these 2 hours were the best in the whole life of Jean Conte!

„Quand elle commença, je vis dans la demi-obscurité de la scène son visage s'illuminer, rayonner d'une félicité immense.
C'était tout un tableau pittoresque, cette ouverture : le carnaval vénitien, le mouvement de la foule, la joie des masques, puis tout à coup, l'Angélus, l'Ave Maria traversant cette gaieté, l'apaisant pour un instant, enfin le paroxysme de la folie succédant à ce calme religieux d'une minute.
Jean Conte suivait toutes les phases de cette scène : il sautillait, faisait claquer ses doigts comme des castagnettes, s'apaisait, se découvrait aux tintements de l'Angélus, faisait le signe de la croix, fléchissait le genou, puis soudainement repartait, esquissant une pirouette. Il était fou de plaisir, de satisfaction intense. Il vivait son oeuvre!
Je crois que dans ces quelques minutes, il a repassé toute sa vie, éprouvé la suprême et exquise jouissance de l'homme qui a donné un corps à son rêve. Il avait traversé près de vingt ans d'une existence humble, laborieuse, peut-être douloureuse, accusant la destinée de ne lui point payer ce qu'elle lui devait. Eh bien, il était payé!“

Although winner of the Premier Grand Prix de Rome it seems that Jean Conte fell behind and later sank into oblivion in such a short time that not even a photo exists of him. A tragic life!

But although forgotten Jean Conte composed some dozens works. A work catalogue can be found at the end of this page.

Acis et Galatee

In my possession is the autograph manuscript of the full score of the cantata "Acis et Galatee" by Jean Conte. This work won the Premier Grand Prix de Rome in 1855. It remained unpublished, not even a piano reduction nor parts were printed. The premiere of the work took place on 6 October 1855 at the annual public meeting of the Academie des Beaux-Arts. It was performed by Marie Rey, Jean Boulo and Jean Merly under the direction of Pantaleon Battu.

The manuscript in my possession also contains the piano reduction of the cantata "Acis et Galatee", but I decided to typeset the full score and present it here:

work catalogue

There is so little known about Jean Conte that I would like to share a catalogue of compositions by him. I combined information from libraries for published works with manuscripts I own.