Central France

Remains of the Abbey of Saint Martial, an important musical centre in the Middle-Ages. The many manuscripts from this monastery (now in Paris BN) belong to the best sources of plainsong from the 10^th to 13^th centuries, especially of tropes and sequences; the last ones also contain polyphonic music.

From the 14^th century, the abbey fell into decline, at the end of the 18^th century it was destroyed.

Birthplace of the troubadour Bernart de Ventadorn, born in the 1130s as the son of a servant. From a musical point of view he is important, because he left more fine melodies to his poems than any other troubadour.

Factory of accordions since 1919, mainly button accordions. The factory and the matching museum can be visited by appointment (tel. 0555 200889).

The composer Joseph Canteloube (1879-1957), on visit here in 1903, heard a shepherdess singing a wonderful song, which he noted down. It became Baïléro, the best known song from his popular cycle of folk song arrangements, Chants d’Auvergne, written in the 1920s.

The old castle of the village (not extant) was the birthplace of the troubadour Peire de Vic, monge de Montaudon, who was active around 1200.

Organ case from 1518 by Pascal Lancelot. Altered in the 17^th and 19^th century, restored in 1986 into the state of the 17^th century. I/pdp/13.

The church of the abbey, a cathédrale fortifiée, has an organ from 1727 by Marin Carouge, extended in 1779 by J.Prades; IV/p/40. The church is one of the venues for the music festival, established by the Hungarian pianist György Cziffra in 1966. An Auditorium György Cziffra was opened in 2010 in the former granary of the abbey.

Jean-Philippe Rameau twice worked as organist in this cathedral: from 1702 to ’06 and from 1715 to ’22/23; in both cases he left earlier than was laid down in his contract, being eager to spread his wings in Paris. During the latter era he wrote his important Traité de l’harmonie.

This museum, devoted to the local history, has a Salle ethnographique with folk instruments.

The composer George Onslow, of English descent, was born in Clermont in 1784 and died at this address in 1853.

House of George Onslow after his marriage in 1808.

Grave of the composer George Onslow (1784-1853) and his wife, Charlotte-Françoise-Delphine de Fontanges. A citation by Berlioz has been added (see photo): Since Beethoven’s death, he holds the sceptre of the instrumental music. His symphonies and especially his chamber music deserve a great esteem indeed.

One of the later houses of George Onslow, after inheritances had made him a wealthy man. Splendid view over the country and on the village with its Esplanade George Onslow. Today the castle is a holiday resort.

During the construction of Onslow’s house Château Bellerive, he stayed at this address. He granted it to the municipality, which named the council chamber Salle Onslow. Bellerive itself was demolished in the 20^th century.

Family home of Onslow’s mother, Marie Rosalie de Bourdeilles de Couzances.

There are more luxurious dwellings connected with Onslow. His daughter lived at Château d’Hauterive in Issoire; furniture of the family ended up in the Château d’Aulteribe (museum) in Courpière-Sermentizon; a piano signed by the composer is in the Château de Polignac, Lavoûte-sur-Loire.

Birthplace of the composer Emmanuel Chabrier (1841-1894). With compositions such as España, Joyeuse Marche and Suite Pastorale, he dispels everyone’s moments of depression. Ravel declared him his greatest source of inspiration.

Monument of Emmanuel Chabrier from 1912.

The theatre was opened in 1885 and extended in 1900 in a surprising art nouveau style. It has 1482 seats. During three decades its repertoire included performances by the Ballets Russes and productions from Bayreuth and La Scala. A congress palace was added in 1995. The era of luxurious spa life being over and done with, the present repertoire is more modest.

Costumes, decors, posters and scores evoke the glorious past of the Vichy opera.

House of Isaac Strauss (1806-1888), a violinist, conductor and composer of waltzes and polkas, but not related to his Viennese namesakes or to Richard. He was the director of the music in the salons of Vichy during the 1840s to 1860s and earned a fortune. Emperor Napoleon III used his villa from 1858 as his residence in 1861 and ’62.

The Cluny museum in Paris has a room named after him; it houses his collection of medieval antiquities.

Gannat has an annual festival (July) of ethnic and folkloristic music Les Cultures du Monde. > www.gannat.com .

Jenzat is a centre of hurdy-gurdy makers. In one of the former workshops, Atelier Pajot, many instruments and utensils are displayed; concerts are given in the auditorium. Open during the summer months.

Interactive museum of French folk music from the last three centuries with a enormous collection of hurdy-gurdies, accordions, bagpipes and percussion instruments. www.mupop.fr .

Birthplace of the composer, conductor and organist André Messager (1853-1929), a close friend of Fauré but as a composer more inclined to lighter genres: operetta, ballet. He gained much popularity in England too.

Tip for travellers: The numbers 3611 and 3621, belonging to the region ‘Centre’ and mentioned there (see below), are nearer to Montluçon than to any of the other selected towns in that region.

The composer Edgard Varèse (1883-1965) spent much of his childhood until 1992 with his grandfather Claude Cortot – also the grandfather of the pianist Alfred Cortot; the radical avant-garde composer and the conservative pianist were cousins.

Dijon is the capital of Burgundy. Especially during the 15^th century, the era of the Valois dukes Philips the Good and Charles the Bold, music flourished at the court, in the churches and on the streets. Gilles Binchois was a member of the court chapel. Some parts of the present castle go back to that era.

In July 1866 the young Mozart and his sister gave concerts in the present reading room of the Archives, the former town hall. Their father Leopold was not content with some members of the accompanying orchestra: mediocre, miserable.

New concert hall and theatre in a complex from 1998.

After opera performances in the Hôtel des Barres since 1717, a new opera was built in 1828, near the spot of the destroyed Sainte Chapelle of the court. It has 700 seats. During the 19^th century, concerts were given too by famous soloists, such as Liszt, Thalberg, Vieuxtemps, Adelina Patti. In 1909 Vincent d’Indy conducted a performance of Dardanus by Rameau, not belonging to the standard repertoire in those days.

At the side of the theatre is the bronze monument of Rameau by J.B. Guillaume, 1878.

Birthplace of the great composer Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683-1764).

Opposite the house (nr 8) are the remains of the former cathedral Saint Étienne, which was abolished during the Revolution; in the 19^th c. the Commercial court, today an annex of the fine arts museum (Musée Rude). Rameau’s father Jean was organist of Saint Étienne, as were his younger brother Claude and the Dijon born composer Claude-Bénigne Balbastre (1727-1799) during the 1740s.

In the church of Saint Michel at the end of the street Jean Rameau played the organ too.

Organist of this church was, next to Jean Rameau, his famous son Jean-Philippe from 1709 to 1713.

The church of Saint Bénigne became the cathedral in 1805, replacing the desecrated St. Étienne. Here also Jean and Claude Rameau were organists. From the organ by the famous Karl Joseph Riepp from 1740, the beautiful case and a part of the pipes remain. The instrument was extended in the 19^th century into V/p/79.

Jean-Philippe Rameau was a pupil of the Jesuit Collège de Godrans, from the 17^th century a centre of culture with a theatrical tradition. The building houses the city library today.

House of Rameau’s grandparents from the maternal side and often visited by the young composer.

The Mozart family passed by this hamlet in July 1766 on their way to Dijon. A good chance that they paid a visit at the Relais de Poste [post station]; it was ran by Bernard Rameau, a relative of the composer. The building has kept much of its original aspect.

This museum is devoted to the history of sound recording and to the chansonnière Edith Piaf.

House of the parents of Rosalie (Lily) Texier, the first wife of Claude Debussy. During the summer months of 1902 and 1903 the composer stayed here.

A small monument of Debussy, who during his holidays in 1903 started with the composition of La Mer and may have been inspired here by the waving grain fields around.

This château from c 1900 was the estate of the pianist and composer Michel Legrand (1932-2019), famous for his musicals, songs (The Windmill of your Mind) and film scores (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg).

Famous musicians worked in the 16^th century at the imposing Chartres cathedral: Johannes Tinctoris and Antoine Brumel were members of the maitrise. There is a ‘swallow’s nest’ organ case which goes back to the 16^th century instrument by Robert Tilleul, but the present pipework and (electric) action are from later centuries. IV/p/68.

Aristide Cavaillé-Coll built a new instrument in the organ case from 1614.

Birthplace of François-André Danican Philidor (1726-1795), composer of operas comiques and sacred music, founder of the Parisian Concert Spirituel. and not the least an internationally famous chess player and -reformer. He was the last of twelve musicians from the Philidor dynasty, the majority of which were employed for nearly two centuries at the court as players of wind instruments.

This chapel on the same grounds as Philidor’s birthplace is the mausoleum of king Louis-Philippe. It has a fine organ by Cavaillé-Coll from 1845; II/p/21.

The Musée Spectacle de la Musique displays a large collection of ethnic musical instruments. The town organises a biannual festival of global music (August, even years).

Dwelling of the family de Froberville, the in-laws of the pianist and composer Stephen Heller (1813-1888). He was of Hungarian descent and lived in France since 1838. Among his piano works are virtuoso studies and arrangements as well as character-pieces for children of all ages.

The première of Le bourgeois-gentilhomme by Molière/Lully added lustre to a visit by Louis XIV to this famous 16^th century castle in 1670.

One of the inhabitants of this pleasant castle was the tax inspector Claude Dupin, whose wife Louise engaged Jean-Jacques Rousseau as secretary and teacher for her son. He fell in love and composed various vocal works for her.

In the 1850s the castle became the property of Marguérite Pelouse-Wilson, an ardent ‘Wagnerite’. Claude Debussy was employed here as her house pianist in the summer of 1879. (Second photo: entry of her private rooms.)

The composer Francis Poulenc bought this 17^th century estate in 1927, to retire from the hectic city life. Cocteau and Picasso were among his visitors The village people asked him in vain to become their mayor. Recently the beautiful house, the garden and the vineyard have been made publicly accessible (guided tours). > www.legrandcoteau.com .

The former tithe barn of the monks of Marmoutier, going back to the 13^th century, is a concert hall now, an important venue for the annual music festival of Touraine. Outside is a monument of the Russian pianist Svyatoslav Richter who repeatedly appeared here.

Holiday home of the composer Emmanuel Chabrier from 1881 until 1893. The house was renovated in 2010, the plaque being temporarily stored inside.

The cloisters are the remains of the Psallette [school for choristers] of the cathedral Saint Gatien.

The organ of the cathedral has been much changed in the course of time, but the fine oak-wood case from the 17^th century is undamaged.

Because the great composer Johannes Ockeghem (c 1410-1497) visited Tours repeatedly and bequeathed his property to the St Martin’s monastery in Tours, it is taken for granted that he died in this town. His grave is not known.

The opera theatre is from 1889 and has over 900 seats.

In a distant corner of the region ‘Centre’ is the estate of the female writer George Sand, between 1841 and ’46 the mistress of Frédéric Chopin. He was a frequent visitor of course, other visitors include Franz Liszt and Pauline Viardot. The house is accessible and gives an interesting view on its history.

The museum in the medieval Donjon de Chauvigny, 6 km south of Nohant, is devoted to George Sand and her circle. A monument is on the outside.