Impressionism · Precursor
1860 – 1917
Paris → Paris
Life
Ernest Fanelli was born in Paris on June 29, 1860 and studied at the Conservatory of the city. Without fortune or contacts, he won his life for decades as a record copist and an orchestra musician, while his compositions were kept in a drawer.
In 1912 the director Gabriel Pierné premiered in the Concerts Colonne Tableaux symphoniques inspired by The mummy roman of Théophile Gautier, written about 1883-1886. The Parisian press was excited to discover that the unknown man already used extended chords and full-tone scales years before Debussy, and presented himself as a precursor to impressionism. Ravel did not share the enthusiasm and attributed these developments to Liszt and, above all, to Berlioz. Fanelli died in Paris on 24 November 1917.
Featured works
- Thèbes, first part of the Tableaux symphoniques envelope The mummy roman (h. 1883-1886)
- Pastoral impressions for orchestra (1890)
