Jules-Alfred Cressonnois

(1823-1883)

Composer and director, born in Mortagne (Orne) on april 17th, 1823, he died on march 20th, 1883. Student of Fessy and of Kastner, he became band director in 1847. Since then till 1869,  he successively directed the bands of the «cuirassiers de la garde impériale», of the «guides» and of the «gendarmerie».  Since 1868, he directs the Champs-Élysées’s concerts orchestra, and the popular festivals which, around 1869, were given in the Théâtre du Châtelet. His son Paul was also a composer.

Along with his arrangements and compositions for band and his piano compositions, Cressonnois is overall recognised for his talent as songs composer ; he especially composed songs on numerous poems by Théodore de Banville.  He also composed comic operas like Chapelle et Bachaumont   or  Saute, marquis !

For the saxophone, he wrote this brief quartet : Pifferari (originally for soprano, alto, baritone and bass), paying dues to the famous Italian street musicians, hornpipe and wind instrument players. He also published in Adolphe Sax’s edition a few other pieces : a transcription for three saxophones (alto, tenor, baritone) of the Romance de Proserpine by Païsiello, along with a composition with an original instrumentation :  La Chanson du printemps for voice (tenor or soprano) with an accompaniment for tenor saxophone in B♭ . Louis Mayeur also composed a Fantaisie sur des mélodies de Mr J. Cressonnois, for alto saxophone and piano.