Paul Le Flem

Paul Le Flem was born in Radon, France to Célestin Louis Joseph Le Flem and Gabrielle Marie Le Flem. After his parents died when he was 12, Le Flem relocated to Lézardrieux, France, where he lived with his father's family, and would spent most of his life. In 1895, at the age of 14, Le Flem attended the Brest Naval School, but had to resign because his vision was poor. While at Brest High School, he learned music, and the age of 15, he was composing his own pieces of music, inspired primarily by his homeland of Brittany.

In 1899, Joseph Farigoul, the head of the band for the Brest naval fleets, encouraged Le Flem to go with him to Paris to enroll at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris.

He obtained a license in philosophy from the Faculty of Letters, and was taught by Henri Bergson, but left Paris in 1901.

In September 1902, Le Flem and Claude Debussy departed for Moscow, learning Russian and attending the national school. Although he loved Russia, he refused the offer to become a flower plantation manager in Crimea, and returned to France because he was homesick.

In March 1904, Le Flem attended the Schola Cantorum in Paris, studying alongside composers Vincent d'Indy, Albert Roussel, and Edgard Varèse.

From 1905 to 1913, Le Flem composed his first works, which resulted in him getting mobilized in 1914, during World War I.

From 1906 to 1960, Le Flem worked as a music critic, but from 1921 to 1937, Le Flem worked as a music critic for Comoedia, and was intrigued by the talents of Igor Stravinsky and Darius Milhaud.

Through his daughter Jeanne Le Flem (1912-2007), Le Flem is the grandfather of Marika Green and the great-grandfather of Eva Green.

Le Flem married Jeanne Louise Yvonne Marie Even, and had three children, two of which died in 1913 at an early age, so Le Flem wrote "Pour les morts" in their memory.

During the war, he served as a stretcher-bearer, and was transferred to Mailly-le-Camp in May 1916. Because he spoke Russian fluently, he was assigned to the 1st Russian Special Regiment, led by Colonel Nietchvolodof. Nietchvolodof was impressed by Le Flem's music, so he had Le Flem create a brass band for the army.

Le Flem was awarded for his service during the Attack of Fort de Brimont on April 16, 1917, and four days later, the regiment was relieved and returned to Talus-Saint-Prix, before being transferred again to Camp de La Courtine, assembling with 15,000 soldiers, including regiment mutineers.

In 1918, Le Flem was responsible for inspecting the Russian soldiers in the Fourth Military Region at Bordeaux, and was assigned to private individuals in Mayenne, Sarthe, Orne and Eure-et-Loir. He would inspect agriculture, companies, and public utilities.

In 1923, he succeeded Roussel's position as Professor of Counterpoint, and held the position until 1939, teaching Erik Satie and André Jolivet.

In 1928, composers Adrien Rougier, André Caplet, and Jacques Ibert all paid tribute to him.

Le Flem also joined the Seiz Breur, the Breton artistic movement of the 1930s.

In 1936, Le Flem returned to composing, and did not stop until 1976, when he went blind at the age of 95.

He also worked as a choirmaster and director of the Chanteurs de Saint-Gervais until 1939.