Paul (de) Choudens, also known under the pseudonym Paul Bérel (5 June 1850 – 7 October 1925), was a 19th and 20th century French musician, music publisher, poet and librettist.

Biography

Choudens was born in Paris. In 1888, with his brother Antony, he took over the publishing house established by his father Antoine de Choudens in 1845 and made a fortune in publishing in particular, the music scores of Faust by Gounod and Carmen by Bizet. He was a staunch supporter of Alfred Bruneau, Paul Vidal and André Messager.

As a librettist, he translated and adapted Der Schauspieldirektor by Mozart in collaboration with Arthur Bernède with whom he would write five libretti for the composer Félix Fourdrain.

Libretti

• Henri Hirschmann: Lovelace (in collaboration with Jules Barbier)
• Pietro Mascagni: Amica
• Isidore de Lara: Sanga
• Ruggero Leoncavallo: Maïa
• Camille Erlanger: L'Aube rouge
• Albert Dupuis: La Passion
• Xavier Leroux: La Plus forte
• Henry Février: Oletta, la fille du Corse

Bibliography

• Anik Devriès & François Lesure: Dictionnaire des éditeurs de musique français, vol. 2 (Geneva: Minkoff, 1988), p. 107–109.
• Agnès Chauvin: "L'Hôtel Choudens", in: Livraisons d'histoire de l'architecture, no. 18, 2nd semester 2009.