André Messager (1853-1929). French composer, conductor and musician
André Messager was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He studied with Gabriel Fauré and Camille Saint-Saëns, and succeeded the former as principal organist at the Saint-Sulpice in Paris. He was appointed conductor of the Folies Bergère in 1878, and began the composition of two short ballets, Fleur d’Oranger in 1878 and Les Vins de France in 1879. In 1886, he wrote the ballet Les Deux Pigeons (The Two Pigeons), which he dedicated to Saint-Saëns, a work that has endured into the repertoire today. The music is elegant and charming, with echoes of French ‘Musette’. Originally choreographed by François Ambroisiny and premiered at the Paris Opéra, the work was brought to London and later choreographed by Frederick Ashton in 1961 for The Royal Ballet Touring Company, with orchestration by John Lanchbery. This production has been performed around the world by numerous ballet companies.