Paul Dukas was born in Paris, France, on October 1, 1865. After
attending the Paris Conservatory, where he won prizes in counterpoint
and fugue as well as the second Prix de Rome, he served as music critic
for several Parisian journals. From 1910 to 1912 he was professor of
orchestration at the Paris Conservatory, and from 1927 until his death
its professor of composition. His first successful work was a concert
overture, _Polyecute_, introduced in Paris in 1892. His Symphony in C
major, first heard in 1897, enhanced his reputation while his orchestral
scherzo, _The Sorcerer’s Apprentice_, also introduced in 1897, made him
famous. Being exceptionally fastidious and self-critical, Dukas did not
produce many compositions, but the best of these are works so
aristocratic in technique and subtle in musical content that they make a
direct appeal only to sophisticated music lovers. These works include
the opera _Ariane et Barbe-bleue_, first performed in Paris on May 10,
1907; the ballet, _La Péri_, introduced in Paris on April 22, 1912; and
some piano music. Towards the end of his life, Dukas destroyed several
of his earlier works deeming them unsuitable for survival. He was one of
France’s most revered musicians. He was made Chevalier of the Legion of
Honor in 1906, and in 1918 elected a member of the _Conseil de
l’enseignement supérieur_ at the Paris Conservatory. He died in Paris on
May 17, 1935.
_The Sorcerer’s Apprentice_ (_L’Apprenti sorcier_), scherzo for
orchestra (1897), is Dukas’ most famous composition, the one that made
him known throughout the world of music. It is so witty, so vivid in its
pictorial writing that it has become a favorite of both the very young
and the mature. The program, which the music follows with amazing
literalness, comes from Goethe’s ballad _Der Zauberlehrling_ which, in
turn, was adapted from a famous folk tale. The story goes something like
this: An apprentice to a magician has come upon his master’s secret
formula for turning a broom into a human being and making it perform
human tasks. The apprentice decides to try out this incantation for
himself while the master is away, and watches with amazement as the
broom acquires human powers. He orders the broom to fetch water, a
command meekly obeyed. Pail after pail of water is carried into the
magician’s shop by the broom until the place is rapidly being inundated.
The apprentice now tries to arrest the water-fetching activity of the
broom, but he does not know the proper incantation to achieve this, or
to strip the broom of its human powers. In terror, the apprentice
attacks the broom with a hatchet. The broom, split into two brooms, now
becomes two humans performing the ritual of bringing water into the den.
In despair, the apprentice cries out for his master who arrives in time
to bring the broom back to its former inanimate state, and to restore
order.
The atmosphere of mystery and peace prevailing in the magician’s den is
created in the opening measures with a descending theme for muted
violins, while different woodwinds give a hint of the principal subject,
a roguish tune describing the sorcerer’s apprentice; this subject
finally appears in the double bassoon, and is then repeated by the full
orchestra. The call of trumpets suggests the incantation pronounced by
the apprentice; a brisk theme for bassoons against plucked strings
describes the parade of the broom back and forth as it brings the water;
and arpeggio figures in the orchestra depict the water itself. The music
then portrays the mounting terror of the apprentice as he is unable to
arrest the march of the broom. After an overwhelming climax, at which
point the apprentice splits the broom into two with a hatchet, the saucy
march tune is doubled to inform us that two brooms are now at work. A
shriek in the orchestra simulates the panic-stricken call of the
apprentice. After the master arrives and sets things in order, the music
of the opening measures is repeated to suggest that once again the
magician’s den is pervaded by peace and mystery.
_The Sorcerer’s Apprentice_ was made into an animated motion picture by
Walt Disney, the Dukas music performed on the sound track by the
Philadelphia Orchestra under Stokowski; it was part of a program
collectively entitled _Fantasia_ which came to New York on November 13,
1940.