Augusta Holmes (1847 - 1903) France
- andreachamizoalber
- Aug 31
- 2 min read
In addition to writing the music, she also wrote the texts for all of her vocal works, including songs, oratorios, the libretto for her opera La montagne noire , and the program poems for her symphonic poems, including Andromeda, which I share below, along with a link to download the score.
Despite showing talent for the piano, she was not allowed to study at the Paris Conservatoire, but took private lessons. In 1876, she became a student of César Franck. Camille Saint-Saëns wrote of Holmès in the journal Harmonie et Mélodie: "Like children, women have no idea of obstacles, and their willpower breaks down all barriers. Mademoiselle Holmès is a woman, in the extreme." ( <3 <3 <3 )
Here comes Ireland, another symphonic poem with a link to download the score.
Like other 19th-century female composers, Holmès published some of her early works under a male pseudonym—"Hermann Zenta"—because women in European society at the time were not taken seriously as artists and were dismissive of publishing their work.
I share two pieces for clarinet and piano, attached is a link to download the score for the second one, Fantaisie.
In 1889, for the centenary of the French Revolution, Holmès was commissioned to write the Triumphal Ode for the Exposition Universelle, a work that required around 1,200 musicians. She gained a reputation as a composer of program music with political content, such as her poems "Ireland" (shared above) and "Poland," which I now share. The link to download the score contains only a transcription for piano for four hands.
She wrote three operas, cantatas, orchestral works, symphonic poems, chamber music, piano works, and a large number of songs. Finally, I share a piano prelude, "Ce que l'on comprendit dans la nuit de Noël," with a link to download the score.
Augusta Holmes is one of my favorite composers. Here's the link to IMSLP where you can find many more works:
And as a bonus, La Nuit el l'Amour, which is part of his work Ludus pro patria, here's the link to see the score:
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