author
Hugues Imbert
1842–1905
A sharp-eyed French music critic and writer, this late-19th-century author brought composers and performers to life with lively portraits and essays. His work opens a window onto the musical world of Paris at a time of major artistic change.
1 Audiobook
Portraits et études; Lettres inédites de Georges Bizet
by Hugues Imbert, Georges Bizet
About the author
Born in Moulins-Engilbert on January 11, 1842, and dead in Paris on January 15, 1905, Hugues Imbert was a French music critic, musicographer, and author. Sources agree on his dates and identify him chiefly with writing about music and musicians.
He studied the violin, but instead of becoming known as a performer, he turned to criticism and musical writing. He is remembered in particular for books such as Portraits et études, which gathers essays on important musicians including César Franck, Charles-Marie Widor, Édouard Colonne, and Georges Bizet.
For listeners today, Imbert is interesting because he wrote from inside the musical culture of his own time. His work combines biography, commentary, and close attention to artists and performances, making it a useful and engaging guide to French musical life at the end of the nineteenth century.