HAHN Life&times

1874

Life:reynaldo Hahn is born in Caracas, Venezuela, the youngest son of a businessman.

The family moves to Paris when he is still a child.

TIMES: The Church of the

Holy Trinidad in Caracas is made the National Pantheon of Venezuela, a resting place for the country’s heroes such as Simón Bolivar, whose body is moved there two years

1907

LIFE:NOW enjoying acclaim as a conductor as well as a composer, his devotion to his adopted country is cemented by becoming a naturalised French citizen.

TIMES: In demonstrations, the French aviator Louis Blériot flies his new monoplane for over 500 metres. Two years later, he makes history by flying over the English Channel.

1931

LIFE:THREE years after the first performance of his Violin Concerto, he conducts the premiere of his Piano Concerto with Magda Tagliaferro as soloist. They later make a recording of the work together.

TIMES: French cyclist Antonin Magne wins the Tour de France, the first of his two victories. Taciturn in the extreme, he avoids interviews and earns the nickname ‘The Monk’.

1890

LIFE:THE 15-year-old Hahn’s talent is spotted by French newspaper Le Figaro, which devotes half a page to his song Si mes vers avaient des ailes, publishing both the music and the words. TIMES: Vincent van Gogh dies, aged 37, in the village of Auvers-suroise in northern France. His death is caused by a gunshot to his stomach, almost certainly fired by his own hand.

1919

Life:returning to civilian life after distinguished service during World War I, he is appointed professor of interpretation and singing at the recently founded École Normale de Musique de Paris.

TIMES: Delegates from 27 nations attend the Paris Peace Conference, which as well formally marking the end of World War I also agrees to establish the League of Nations.

1947

LIFE: Suffering a brain tumour, he dies, aged 72, in Paris. He is buried in the French capital’s Père Lachaise Cemetery, close to the grave of the novelist Marcel Proust, his former lover. TIMES: Vincent Auriol is elected president of France. His first year in office is blighted by frequent strikes as the country’s economy struggles to recover in the aftermath of World War II.