Napoléon Coste

Biography

Napoléon Coste (1805 – 1883) was a French composer and guitarist. His first teacher was his mother, who was also an accomplished guitarist. Coste was already himself teaching as a teenager. By age 24 he moved to Paris where he began studying with the great Spanish composer and guitarist Fernando Sor

Among Coste’s many original works for guitar were a set of 25 Etudes (Op.38). He also wrote several programmatic works with nature as their theme. These latter pieces include:

  • La Source du Lyson (“The Lyson River Spring”) (Op.47)
  • La Valée d’Ornans (“The Ornans Valley”) (Op.17)
  • Les Bord du Rin (“The Banks of the Rhine”) (Op.18)
  • Le Passage des Alpes (“The Trail in the Alps”) (Op.27)
  • Les Soirées d’Auteuil (“Evenings in Auteuil”) (Op.23)

Hector Berlioz, another composer who wrote much programmatic nature music (and who played guitar), was a big inspiration for Coste.

Coste was unique in that he typically played a seven-stringed instrument. This guitar was designed by Lacôte and featured a “floating” seventh string.

Napoléon Coste (1805 – 1883) Sheet Music

Sheet Music

Download Sheet Music Here

Souvenirs de Flandres, Op.5

Souvenirs de Flandres, Op.5 (PDF download)

Fantaisie de Concert, Op.6

Fantaisie de Concert, Op.6 (PDF download)

Grand Caprice, Op.11:

Grand Caprice, Op.11 (PDF download)

La Valée d’Ornans, Op.17:

La Valée d’Ornans, Op.17 (PDF download)

Die Ufer des Rheins (Walzer), Op.18:

Die Ufer des Rheins (Walzer), Op.18 (PDF download)

Les Soirées d’Auteuil, Op.23:

Les Soirées d’Auteuil, Op.23 (PDF download)

Grand Solo, Op.24:

Grand Solo, Op.24 (PDF download)

Le Passage des Alpes, Op.27, 28, 40:

Le Passage des Alpes, Op.27, 28, 40 (PDF download)

La Chasse des Sylphes, Op.29:

La Chasse des Sylphes, Op.29 (PDF download)

Le Départ: Fantaisie Dramatique, Op.31:

Le Départ: Fantaisie Dramatique, Op.31 (PDF download)

25 Études, Op.38:

25 Études, Op.38 (PDF download)

Fête Villageoise, Op.47:

Fête Villageoise, Op.47 (PDF download)

La Source du Lyson, Op.47:

La Source du Lyson, Op.47 (PDF download)

Performance

Le Départ: Fantaisie Dramatique, Op.31 (Meng Su, guitar)