While
leader of the
Opéra de Paris orchestra, Édouard Colonne was engaged by the publisher
Georges Hartmann to lead a series of popular concerts which he founded under the title of ‘Concert National’ in March 1873. While at first a great success, the financial burden forced Hartmann to withdraw from the enterprise. However, Colonne then decided to form his own orchestra, ‘l’Association artistique des Concerts Colonne’ based at the
Théâtre du Châtelet in November 1873. The Concerts Colonne placed particular emphasis on contemporary music of the time such as (
Saint-Saëns,
Massenet,
Charpentier,
Fauré,
d'Indy,
Debussy,
Ravel,
Widor,
Enescu,
Dukas and
Chabrier), alongside which were programmed
Wagner and
Richard Strauss. Colonne and his orchestra were central to reviving and sustaining interest in the music of Berlioz after his death; following a 1877 concert performance of
La Damnation de Faust at the Chatelet it became a permanent part of the orchestra's repertoire, played 117 times by the time of the composer's centenary in 1903, as well as other works by him. Under Colonne the orchestra mainly played French and German works; Colonne conducted the large majority of concerts with occasional guest conductors such as
Felix Mottl,
Hans Richter, and
Arthur Nikisch. In April 1910
Mahler gave the French premiere of
his second symphony at the Théâtre du Châtelet. Among the principals under Colonne was
Pierre Monteux, leader of the violas from 1893. State subsidies for orchestras had begun in France in 1897; by 1929 the Concerts Colonne were receiving 75,000 francs a year, the same as the Lamoureux, with other Parisian formations receiving less. Notable premieres given by the Colonne include Saint-Saëns
Danse macabre 1875,
Chausson Soir de Fête 1898,
Enesco Poème roumain 1898, and Symphony No.1 1906,
d'Indy ''Jour d'été à la montagne
1906, Ravel Une barque sur l'océan 1907 and Rapsodie espagnole 1908, Ibert La ballade de la geôle de Reading
1922, Debussy Khamma 1924, Mihalovici Capriccio roumain
1937, Bondeville Symphonie chorégraphique'' 1965. ==Musical directors==