A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Troupenas, Eugène

TROUPENAS, Eugène, French music-publisher, born in Paris, 1799, died there April 11, 1850. As a child he showed decided taste for music, but his family intended him for an engineer, and put him to study mathematics with Wronsky, a Polish professor, who however dissuaded him from entering the École Polytechnique and indoctrinated him with his own misty transcendentalism. The results of this early training came out when, left in easy circumstances by the death of his parents, he became a music-publisher, for to the last it was the metaphysical side of the art which interested him. He never gave his ideas in full to the world, but a couple of letters which originally came out in the 'Revue Musicale,' were published in pamphlet form with the title 'Essai sur la théorie de la Musique, déduite du principe Métaphysique sur lequel se fonde la réalité de cette science' (1832). Troupenas took up the brothers Escudier when they came to seek their fortune in Paris, and it was with his assistance that they founded their journal 'La France Musicale.' A man of the world, a good musician, and a fascinating talker, his friendship was sought by many artists of eminence. Rossini, Auber, and de Beriot were sincerely attached to him, and found him always devoted to their interests. He also published Halévy's operas, Donizetti's 'La Favorita,' and all Henri Herz's pianoforte pieces at the time of his greatest popularity; indeed it is not too much to say that from 1825 to 1850 his stock was one of the largest and best selected of all the publishing houses in Paris. At his death it was purchased entire by MM. Brandus, and the larger part still remains in their hands.

[ G. C. ]