Jean Cras

Short bio Jean Cras

Birthday: 1879 in Brest, France

Died: 1932 in Brest, France

Genre: Classical

Period: Post-Romantic

Full biography Jean Cras

Jean Cras (1879-1932) was a French composer and a career naval officer. He was born in Brest, France and began composing music at the young age of 13. His musical career spanned over two decades, during which he wrote music for chamber ensembles, orchestra, voice and piano, and solo instruments. Cras was also a passionate sailor and spent much of his life at sea, rising through the ranks of the French Navy to eventually become a Rear Admiral.

One of Cras's most notable works is his "Sonate pour violoncelle et piano," which gained recognition only slowly , but today remains as one of his most popular pieces. It is said to have been inspired by the music he heard while stationed in Tunisia as a naval officer. In addition to his compositions for chamber ensembles, Cras also wrote music for orchestra, including his "Suite en duo" and "Paysages."

Cras's writing style is distinctive, incorporating elements of impressionism and folk music from the Brittany region of France. His music is known for its clarity, elegance, and lyricism, frequently featuring intricate and sophisticated counterpoint and highly expressive melodies. In addition to his contributions to music, Cras was also a talented naval officer. According to some sources, he was so dedicated to his work as a composer that he would often forget his duties as a naval officer when he reached port, spending all his time writing music instead.

Today, Jean Cras is recognized as an important figure in French music of the early 20th century, despite being relatively unknown during his own lifetime. His music has an enduring appeal, and continues to be performed and studied by musicians and scholars around the world.

Compositions featuring Jean Cras

#	Name	Duration	Genre	Year
1	Chansons (2) for voice & piano	2:53 min	Vocal Music	1932
2	Noëls (3), for voice & orchestra	9:05 min	Vocal Music	1930
3	Soir sur la mer, for voice & piano	2:39 min	Vocal Music	1929
4	La Flûte de Pan, for voice, flute (syrinx), violin, viola & cello	13:48 min	Vocal Music	1928
5	Suite en Duo, for flute & harp	14:39 min	Chamber Music	1927
6	Duo for harp & flute		Chamber Music	1927
7	Pieces (4), for violin & piano	18:06 min	Chamber Music	1926
8	Dans la montagne, for male chorus	13:08 min	Choral	1925
9	Impromptus (2), for harp	9:25 min	Chamber Music	1925
10	Impromptus (2) for piano	9:50 min	Keyboard	1925
11	Hymne en l'honneur d'une sainte, for chorus & organ	6:22 min	Choral	1925
12	Cinq Robaiyat, for voice & piano	9:27 min	Vocal Music	1924
13	Danse for saxophone quartet	3:21 min	Chamber Music	1924
14	Demain, prélude et danse for saxophone & septet	3:03 min	Chamber Music	1924
15	Fontaines, for voice & piano	7:47 min	Vocal Music	1923
16	Piano Quintet	34:29 min	Chamber Music	1922
17	Image, for voice & piano	2:33 min	Vocal Music	1921
18	L'Offrande lyrique, for voice & piano	15:34 min	Vocal Music	1920
19	Âmes d'enfants (Children's Souls), for piano, 4 hands (or orchestra)	16:28 min	Keyboard	1918
20	Danze, for piano	32:12 min	Keyboard	1917
21	Landscapes, for piano	12:59 min	Keyboard	1917
22	Paysages, for piano	11:04 min	Keyboard	1917
23	Élégies (4), for voice & orchestra	16:37 min	Vocal Music	1912
24	Regina coeli, for chorus & organ	8:29 min	Choral	1911
25	Ave Maria, for voice & organ	2:35 min	Vocal Music	1910
26	Polyphème, opera	159:27 min	Opera	1910
27	String Quartet No. 1 ("À ma Bretagne")	39:35 min	Chamber Music	1909
28	Messe à quatre voix a cappella, for mixed chorus	22:25 min	Choral	1908
29	Piano Trio	33:02 min	Chamber Music	1907
30	Ave verum, for voice, violin & organ	4:55 min	Vocal Music	1905
31	Marche nuptiale, for organ	3:57 min	Keyboard	1904
32	Poèmes Intimes, for piano	27:51 min	Keyboard	1902
33	Douceur du soir, for voice & piano	8:05 min	Vocal Music	1901
34	Panis angelicus, for voice & organ	3:23 min	Vocal Music	1899
35	Au Fil de l'eau, for piano	5:09 min	Keyboard	-
36	Mélodies (3), for voice & piano	11:28 min	Vocal Music	-
37	Cello Sonata	30:26 min	Chamber Music	-
38	String Trio	24:06 min	Chamber Music	-
39	Chansons bretonnes (3) for voice and piano	9:19 min	Vocal Music	-
40	Quintet for harp, flute, violin, viola & cello	20:54 min	Chamber Music	-
41	Premier anniversaire (First Birthday), for piano	5:33 min	Keyboard	-
42	Journal de Bord for orchestra	23:53 min	Orchestral	-
43	Largo, for cello & piano	7:28 min	Chamber Music	-
44	Legend, for cello & orchestra	14:25 min	Concerto	-
45	Piano Concerto	28:02 min	Concerto	-
46	Mélodies (4), for voice & piano	16:31 min	Vocal Music	-

Albums featuring Jean Cras

#	Name album	Year	Music label
1	Berthomieu \| Takemitsu \| Andrès \| Alwyn \| Cras \| Bozza \| Debussy \| Zabel, Antonia Schreiber, Alja Velkaverh – Pan + Apoll: Water Music For Flute And Harp(CD, Album)	2020	Hänssler Classic
2	Jean Cras, Oxalys – La Flûte de Pan & Quintettes(CD, Album)	2019	Passacaille
3	Trio Goldberg, Klein \| Dohnányi \| Weinberg \| Cras – De L'Ombre à La Lumière(SACD, Hybrid, Multichannel, Album)	2018	Ars Produktion
4	Cras, Quatuor Sine Qua Non, Jean-Pierre Ferey – Cras(CD, Album)	2018	Skarbo
5	Horenstein Ensemble, Fionnuala McCarthy, Ravel, Howells, Cras, Vaughan Williams – Tempelhof	2011	Acousence Classics
6	Jean Cras - Juliette Hurel, Marie-Pierre Langlamet, Philippe Graffin, Miguel Da Silva, Henri Demarquette – Flûte, Harpe & Cordes(CD, Album)	2011	Timpani
7	Jean Cras - Chloé Waysfeld, Christophe Crapez, Philippe Cantor, Laurent Wagschal – Mélodies(CD, )	2009	Maguelone
8	Jean Cras - Philippe Koch, Aleksandr Khramouchin, Alain Jacquon – Sonate Pour Violoncelle Et Piano - Trio Pour Violon, Violoncelle Et Piano(CD, Album)	2008	Timpani
9	Floraleda Sacchi, Claudio Ferrarini / Erik Satie, Ravi Shankar, Philip Glass, Jean Cras, Astor Piazzolla, Nino Rota – Suite En Duo(CD, Album)	2007	Philips
10	Jean Cras, Alain Jacquon, Quatuor Louvigny – Quatuor / Quintette Avec Piano(CD, Album)	2007	Timpani
11	Linos Harp Quintet, Gabriel Fauré, André Jolivet, Jean Cras, Marcel Tournier, Joseph-Guy Ropartz – Impressions: French Music for Flute, Harp, and String Trio(CD, Club Edition)	2006	Hänssler Classic
12	Brigitte Buxtorf, Chantal Mathieu - Jolivet, Damase, Cras, Françaix, Andres, Ibert – Portrait - Works By ...(CD, Album)	2001	Pan Classics
13	Trio Des Aulnes - Jean Cras / Ernest Chausson – Trio En Ut / Trio En Sol Mineur(CD, Album, Stereo)	1998	Euromuses
14	Jean Cras, Henri Demarquette, Alain Jacquon, Orchestre Philharmonique Du Luxembourg, Jean-François Antonioli – L'Oeuvre Pour Orchestre	1996	Timpani
15	Falla, Debussy, Cras, Gerhard, Albéniz, Ravel, Casals, Schmitt, Stravinsky – Music At The Time Of Picasso(CD, Compilation)	1996	Auvidis Valois
16	Jean Cras - Alain Jacquon – L'Oeuvre De Piano (Works For Piano)	1995	Timpani
17	Ravel / Debussy / Caplet / Cras - Isabelle Moretti – Musique de Chambre Pour Harpe(CD, Album)	1995	Auvidis Valois
18	Jean Cras - Charles Gounod / Quatuor à Cordes de Chartres – Premier Quatuor "À Ma Bretagne" - Quatuor En La Mineur(CD, Album)	1994	BNL Productions
19	Trio Cappa, Boely, Blanc, Cras – Boely Blanc Cras(CD, Album)	1994	CMAP
20	René Abjean - Joseph-Guy Ropartz - Jean Cras / Chorales Du Breizh A Gan - Orchestre Et Chœur De Brocéliande - Direction : Jacques Wojciechowski – Kan Evid Ar Peoh (Cantate Pour La Paix)(CD, Album)	1993	Kendalc'h
21	Cras, Marie-Annick Nicolas, Jean-Pierre Ferey – L'oeuvre Complète Pour Violon Et Piano(CD, Stereo)	1993	Skarbo
22	Jean Cras, Trio À Cordes Millière – Trio - Quintette - La Flûte De Pan(CD, Album)	1988	Quantum (3)
23	Jean Cras, Orchestre Philharmonique De L'Etat De Rhénanie-Palatinat Direction Pierre Stoll – Âmes D'Enfants - Journal De Bord	1984	Cybelia
24	Chamber Works(CD, Album)	-	Fontec