Name: Ernest Fanelli
Date of Birth: 1860-1917
Place of Birth: Paris, France
Ernest Fanelli was a composer of Italian origin who is best remembered for setting of a controversy regarding the roots of Impressionist music after the first performance of his composition ‘Tableaux Symphoniques’ in 1912. He was called as one of the greatest musical iconoclasts and inventors of all time by George Antheil, and yet he remains in obscurity.
Fanelli was born on 29 June 1860 in Paris to an immigrant family from Bologna. He entered the Paris Conservatoire in 1876 and studied music for some years. However, he got into disputes with his teachers, which led to his expulsion.
Despite claims, he did not study there with Charles-Valentin Alkan, as Alkan had left the Conservatoire in 1848. He may have, however, studied with Napoléon, Alkan’s brother, who was professor of solfège at the Conservatoire during that time. He then got work as a timpanist until he returned to studying music under Léo Delibes; though he soon ran out of resources and was once again unable to finish his studies. He continued working as jobbing percussionist and self-taught himself on composition. He took a moment to relax himself and then started creating his own compositions.
Fanelli sought work in 1912 as a musical copyist, submitting a manuscript to Gabriel Pierné to display his good handwriting. Pierné took interest in the music itself, and Fanelli claimed it was his own composition; ‘Talbeaux Symphoniques’, which he wrote nearly thirty years previously.
Date of Birth: 1860-1917
Place of Birth: Paris, France
Ernest Fanelli was a composer of Italian origin who is best remembered for setting of a controversy regarding the roots of Impressionist music after the first performance of his composition ‘Tableaux Symphoniques’ in 1912. He was called as one of the greatest musical iconoclasts and inventors of all time by George Antheil, and yet he remains in obscurity.
Fanelli was born on 29 June 1860 in Paris to an immigrant family from Bologna. He entered the Paris Conservatoire in 1876 and studied music for some years. However, he got into disputes with his teachers, which led to his expulsion.
Despite claims, he did not study there with Charles-Valentin Alkan, as Alkan had left the Conservatoire in 1848. He may have, however, studied with Napoléon, Alkan’s brother, who was professor of solfège at the Conservatoire during that time. He then got work as a timpanist until he returned to studying music under Léo Delibes; though he soon ran out of resources and was once again unable to finish his studies. He continued working as jobbing percussionist and self-taught himself on composition. He took a moment to relax himself and then started creating his own compositions.
Fanelli sought work in 1912 as a musical copyist, submitting a manuscript to Gabriel Pierné to display his good handwriting. Pierné took interest in the music itself, and Fanelli claimed it was his own composition; ‘Talbeaux Symphoniques’, which he wrote nearly thirty years previously.
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