Henri Sauguet

Henri Sauguet (18 May, 1901 - June 22 1989), was a French composer. Born Henri-Pierre Poupart in Bordeaux, he adopted his mother's maiden name as his pseudonym.

He started learning the piano when he was just five years old, being taught by his mother, Elisabeth, and also Marie Brodier. Later he was taught by Mrs. Loureau of Pagesse, the organist of the church Sainte-Eulalie of Bordeaux. Sacred music and especially organ arrangements, influenced him for the rest of his life.

The mobilization of his father in 1914 required him to earn a living at a very young age. Because of this, he become employed by the Prefecture of Montauban in 1919-1920 at which time he formed a friendship with Joseph Canteloube. Together they collected and harmonized traditional songs under the title "Chants d'Auvergne" (Songs of Auvergne).

Returning to Bordeaux, he formed Groupe des Trois (the Group of Three) along with Louis Emié and Jean-Marcel Lizotte, with the hope of creating the best music of all time. Their first concert took place on December 12, 1920. The concert began with performances by Groupe des Six (Georges Auric, Louis Durey, Arthur Honegger, Germaine Tailleferre, Darius Milhaud and Francis Poulenc), followed by "Erik Satie and the Groupe des Trois with Henri Sauguet", playing Sauguet's "Danse nègre" and "Pastorale pour piano".

In October 1921, encouraged by Darius Milhaud, Sauguet moved to Paris to study with Charles Koechlin while working as a secretary at the Guimet Museum. In 1923, four young musicians: Henri Pawl-Pleyel, Roger Desormière, Maxime Jacob and Henri Sauguet formed Ecole d'Arcueil (the School of Arcueil). With support from Satie, who continued to influence Sauguet, they had their first concert on October 25, 1923, at Théâtre des Champs-Elysées.

Henri Sauguet died in Paris and was buried in the Cimetière de Montmartre in the Montmartre Quarter.