Skip to main content

The Société nationale de musique

The Société nationale de musique was founded in 1871 by Franck, Guiraud, Saint-Saëns, Massenet, Garcin, Fauré, Castillon, Duparc, Dubois, Taffanel, and Bussine, in order to provide young French composers with an opportunity to present their works to the public. It was administered by a committee of 7–15 members responsible for selecting the pieces to be performed. Concerts were most often held in the Pleyel salons, except for orchestral and organ performances, which took place in the Salle Érard and the church of Saint-Gervais, respectively. The presidents of the SNM were Bussine, Franck, and then d’Indy. Its audience, initially limited to members, expanded in the 1880s. In 1886, the Society took a significant turn by opening its programmes to works by foreign, deceased, and non-member composers, leading to the resignation of Bussine and Saint-Saëns. Starting in the late 1880s a new generation of composers joined the SNM, helping to refresh the programming; these included Debussy and Ropartz (1888), followed by Schmitt (1894) and eventually Roger-Ducasse and Ravel (1898–9).

Related persons

Composer, Organist, Pianist

César FRANCK

(1822 - 1890)

Composer

Ernest GUIRAUD

(1837 - 1892)

Composer, Pianist

Georges BIZET

(1838 - 1875)

Composer, Organist, Pianist, Journalist

Camille SAINT-SAËNS

(1835 - 1921)

Composer, Pianist

Jules MASSENET

(1842 - 1912)

Composer, Organist, Pianist

Gabriel FAURÉ

(1845 - 1924)

Composer

Alexis de CASTILLON

(1838 - 1873)

Composer

Henri DUPARC

(1848 - 1933)

Composer, Organist

Théodore DUBOIS

(1837 - 1924)

Conductor, Composer, Flautist

Paul TAFFANEL

(1844 - 1908)

Composer, Baritone, Poet

Romain BUSSINE

(1830 - 1899)

Conductor, Composer

Vincent d' INDY

(1851 - 1931)

Composer, Pianist

Claude DEBUSSY

(1862 - 1918)

Conductor, Composer

Guy ROPARTZ

(1864 - 1955)

Composer

Florent SCHMITT

(1870 - 1958)

Composer

ROGER-DUCASSE

(1873 - 1954)

Conductor, Composer, Pianist

Maurice RAVEL

(1875 - 1937)

Related works

Piano Quartet op. 7

Alexis de CASTILLON

Scènes hongroises

Jules MASSENET

Suite pour flûte et piano

Clémence de GRANDVAL

Ouverture d'Arteveld

Ernest GUIRAUD

Les Djinns op. 12

Gabriel FAURÉ

/

Victor HUGO

Madrigal dans le style ancien op. 4

Vincent d' INDY

/

Robert de BONNIÈRES

La Chevauchée du Cid op. 11

Vincent d' INDY

/

Robert de BONNIÈRES

Larghetto pour cor

Emmanuel CHABRIER

Les Éolides

César FRANCK

/

Charles-Marie LECONTE DE LISLE

Trio avec piano no 3

Édouard LALO

Élégie op. 24

Gabriel FAURÉ

Barcarolle no 1 op. 26

Gabriel FAURÉ

Trois Pièces pour violoncelle

Clémence de GRANDVAL

Viviane

Ernest CHAUSSON

Le Chasseur maudit

César FRANCK

Quatuor à cordes

Édouard LALO

Romance et Gavotte

Clémence de GRANDVAL

Les Djinns

César FRANCK

La Belle au bois dormant

Alfred BRUNEAU

Helvetia op. 17

Vincent d' INDY

Rhapsodie d’Auvergne op. 73

Camille SAINT-SAËNS

Caligula op. 52

Gabriel FAURÉ

Psyché

César FRANCK

/

Louis de FOURCAUD Émile SICARD

Pavane

Gabriel FAURÉ

/

Robert de MONTESQUIOU

Andante et Intermezzo

Clémence de GRANDVAL

Shylock op. 57

Gabriel FAURÉ

La Procession

César FRANCK

/

Auguste BRIZEUX

Quatuor à cordes op. 35

Vincent d' INDY

Concert

Ernest CHAUSSON

Cinq Mélodies de Venise op. 58

Gabriel FAURÉ

/

Paul VERLAINE

La Bonne Chanson

Gabriel FAURÉ

/

Paul VERLAINE

Sonata for piano and cello

Henriette RENIÉ

L'Apprenti sorcier

Paul DUKAS

Quelques Danses

Ernest CHAUSSON

Dolly

Gabriel FAURÉ

Pour le piano

Claude DEBUSSY

Pièces brèves op. 84

Gabriel FAURÉ

Quatuor à cordes

Maurice RAVEL

Shéhérazade

Maurice RAVEL

/

Tristan KLINGSOR

Sonatine pour piano

Maurice RAVEL

Miroirs

Maurice RAVEL

Souvenirs

Vincent d' INDY

Gaspard de la nuit

Maurice RAVEL

Piano Sonata

Charlotte SOHY

Aux étoiles

Henri DUPARC

Rapsodie pour saxophone

Claude DEBUSSY

Piano Trio op. 120

Gabriel FAURÉ