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La semaine musicale de Lille et du Département du Nord

(Lille, 1881-1903)

RIPM Preservation Series: European and North American Music Periodicals (2023)

Periodicity: Weekly

Director: Édouard Français

Directed by Édouard Français, La semaine musicale de Lille et du Départment du Nord was published weekly for twenty-two years. Issues consist generally of four pages with occasional extra issues of one to four pages published midweek. In addition to his role as editor and music critic, Français was a musical instrument dealer with a shop on the Rue des Chats-Bossus.

The primary focus of the journal was to chronicle musical life in Lille, with a focus on productions at the Grand-Théâtre. Issues generally begin with a section titled “Revue musicale,” nearly always beginning with Lille; the “Chronique de Paris” section generally followed. Between these two sections occasional articles on local musical history, or articles on critical or theoretical debates, are often found.

The journal ceased publication following a fire at the Grand-Théâtre in Lille. The absence of this venue, and its problematic reconstruction, led to a gap in musical life in Lille, and the editor decided to suspend publication as a result.

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