Jean Cras, Polymath of Music and Letters

Jean Cras (1879-1932) was a remarkable man by anyone's measure. Twice a decorated hero of the Great War, this Rear-Admiral of the French navy, scientist, inventor, moral philosopher and war-hero, was also a highly esteemed composer during his lifetime, enjoying the same stature and level of recognition as Fauré, Debussy and Ravel. Since his death, however, both Cras and his music have been almost completely overlooked. In this, the first critical biography of Cras, Paul-Andre Bempechat situates the composer as a missing link between the French post-romantic generation of composers and the impressionists.