Napoléon Coste
Born: June 28, 1806; Amondans
Died: February 17, 1883; Paris, France
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Largely a forgotten figure today, Napoléon Coste was one of the few composers to maintain interest in the guitar during its period of general neglect from the 1830s to the end of the nineteenth century. Coste is said to have learned guitar technique from his mother at an early age. He was writing music for the instrument by 1830, the year he moved to Paris and saw his first pieces published. Coste studied with the great Spanish guitarist of the
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Works
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Andante and Allegro for Guitar (1)
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Andante et Polonaise, for guitar ("Souvenir de Jura"), Op. 44 (1)
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Andante for Guitar no 14 in D major (1)
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Caprice for guitar on the Spanish air "La cachucha," Op 13 (1)
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Cavatine, for oboe & guitar, Op. 37 (1)
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Concertino for oboe (1)
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Consolazione, Op. 25 (5)
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Delfzil, for guitar (Souvenirs No. 3), Op. 19 (2)
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Divagation, Op. 45 (1)
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Divertissement for Guitar on 'Lucia di Lammermoor,' Op. 9 (1)
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Etude for Guitar no 13 in G minor (1)
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Études de genre (25) for Guitar, Op. 38 (1)
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Études de genre (25) for Guitar, Op. 38: no 14, Andante (1)
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Études de genre (25) for Guitar, Op. 38: no 23 (1)
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Fantaisie on two themes from Bellini's Norma, for guitar, Op. 16 (1)
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Fantaisie sonate, for oboe & guitar, Op. 34b (1)
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Fantasia on Bellini's "Norma", Op. 16 (1)
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Fantasie de concert for Guitar, Op. 6 (1)
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Fantasie sur un Motif du ballet d'Armide, Op. 4 (1)
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Favorite Waltzes (16) of Johann Strauss, Op. 7 (1)
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Favorite Waltzes (16) of Johann Strauss, Op. 7: Walzes 1 - 5 (1)
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Grand Caprice for Guitar, Op. 11 (1)
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Grand Duo for 2 Guitars (3)
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Grand Solo for Guitar, Op. 24 (1)
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Grande Serenade for Guitar, Op. 30 (2)
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Grande sérénade, for guitar, Op 30 (1)
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Introduction and Allegretto (1)
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Introduction and Andantino (1)
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Introduction and Polonaise for Guitar, Op. 14 (2)
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Introduction and Variations for Guitar (1)
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La cachucha, Op. 13 (1)
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La Romanesca, Op. 19b (1)
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La ronde de mal, Op. 42 (1)
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La Vallee d'Ornans, for guitar (Sourvenirs No. 1), Op 17 (3)
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Le départ - le retour (1)
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Le Montagnard, Op. 34: Rondo - Les Montagnards (1)
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Le Montagnard, Op. 34 (5)
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Le Montagnard, Op. 34: Allegretto (2)
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Le Montagnard, Op. 34: Excerpt(s) (1)
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Le Montagnard, Op. 34: Introduction (1)
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Le Montegnard (Divertissment Pastoral), for oboe & guitar, Op. 34: Les Montagnards. Rondo (1)
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Le tournoi, Op. 15 (1)
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Le Zuyderzee, ballade for guitar (Souvenirs No. 4), Op. 20 (2)
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Les Bords du Rhin, valse for guitar (Souvenirs No. 2), Op. 18 (2)
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Les Cloches, for guitar (Souvenirs No. 5), Op. 21 (2)
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Les Cloches, Op. 21 (1)
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Les montagnards: Rondo (1)
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Les Regrets, Op. 36 (4)
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Les Soirées d'Auteuil, for guitar (Souvenirs No. 7), Op. 23 (3)
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March funebre ed Rondeau, Op. 43 (1)
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Marche et Scherzo for Oboe and Guitar, Op. 33 (1)
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Meulan, for guitar (Souvenirs No. 6), Op. 22 (2)
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Morseaux Episodiques (7), Op. 23: no 7, Les Soirees d'Auteil (2)
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Op. 51: Andantino (1)
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Op. 51: Barcarolle (1)
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Op. 51: Mélancolie (1)
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Pièces originales (6), Op. 53: no 1, Reverie (3)
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Prelude for Guitar no 11 in G major (1)
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Prelude for Guitar no 12 in G major (1)
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Quadrilles (2) de Contredanses, Op. 3 (1)
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Quadrilles (2) for Guitar (1)
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Récréation du Guitariste, for guitar, Op. 51 (1)
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Récréation du Guitariste, Op. 51 (1)
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Rêverie for guitar, Op 53/1 (1)
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Rondeau de concert avec introduction, Op. 12 (3)
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Rondeau de Concert, Op 12 (1)
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Souvenir du Jura, Op. 44 (1)
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Souvenirs (7) for Guitar, Op. 17-23 (1)
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Souvenirs de Flanders, Op. 5 (1)
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Variations et finale sur un Motif de La famille suisse de Weigl, Op. 2 (1)
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Waltzes (12) for Guitar "Feuilles d'automne, Op. 41 (2)
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Work(s): [Unspecified] Etude (1)
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Work(s): [Unspecified] Rondeau (1)
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Biography |
by James Reel
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Largely a forgotten figure today, Napoléon Coste was one of the few composers to maintain interest in the guitar during its period of general neglect from the 1830s to the end of the nineteenth century. Coste is said to have learned guitar technique from his mother at an early age. He was writing music for the instrument by 1830, the year he moved to Paris and saw his first pieces published. Coste studied with the great Spanish guitarist of the day, Fernando Sor, and became a friend and duo partner. But after Sor's death, public interest in the guitar declined, and Coste made his living mainly as a civil servant while dabbling in musical activities. He apparently took part in the nineteenth century French early music revival spearheaded by Fétis; his role included making transcriptions for modern guitar of Baroque pieces written in tablature.
Coste maintained his own guitar skills as a performer (until a hand injury in 1863 ended his concretizing) and composer; in 1856 he won second place in a Brussels competition for guitar compositions. He published an abundance of his own pieces for the instrument, primarily a seven-string version; he also wrote a fair amount of music for oboe, usually accompanied by guitar. His style was strongly influenced by that of Sor, but with more Romantic harmonies and a greater tendency to indulge in descriptive titles. Coste furthermore kept the music of his friend Sor in circulation, having many of Sor's compositions (as well as his guitar method book) republished. |
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