Sauguet, Henri (1901–1989)

French composer and critic. He was a member of Erik Satie's circle. He composed music for the stage and ballet. He is well known for the opera La chartreuse de Parme (1939).

After studying piano and organ at Bordeaux, he became a pupil of Joseph Canteloube at Montauban and in 1922 of Charles Koechlin in Paris. Introduced by Milhaud to Satie, he joined the latter's school at Arcueil. In 1936 he succeeded Milhaud as music critic to Le Jour-Echo de Paris, and his major work, the opera La chartreuse de Parme, followed in 1939.

Works Opera La gageure imprévue (1944), Les caprices de Marianne (1954); two operettas, Le plumet du colonel (1924), La contrebasse (1932).

Stage music ballets, including La charte, David, La nuit, Fastes, Les forains; incidental music for plays, including Molierè's Le Sicilien, Roger Ferdinand's Irma, Pierre Emmanuel's Les lépreux.

Orchestral four symphonies, including Symphonie expiatoire (in memory of war victims); three piano concertos.

Chamber and vocal La voyante for soprano and chamber orchestra; two string quartets (1926, 1948); sonatina for flute and piano; sonata in D major; other works for piano; songs to poems by Tagore; film music.