André Caplet (Nov. 23, 1878 - April 22, 1925) was a French composer and conductor. He was the youngest child of a poor family, and got in to music as a child. By the age of 12, he was working as a rehearsal pianist, and eventually entered the Paris Conservatory in 1896. He won the Prix de Rome in 1901 (on his first try!) Caplet's main work early in his career was in conducting, which garnered him international attention; he was asked to work with the Boston Opera in 1910, and became their Music Director two years later. Two years after that, he volunteered for the military, where he was wounded and gassed, and when he came home, gave up conducting to focus more on composing and editing. He is known for his orchestrations of some of Debussy's compositions, and became close friends with him. His own compositions were primarily for voice, though he wrote many varied instrumental  works as well.

Inscriptions Champêtres is an a cappella work, written in 1914,  firmly rooted in Impressionism. Based on a text by poet Remy de Gourmont, this work describes the four seasons, with colorful harmonies, a strong melodic line, and melismas that sound like they belong in another musical era. This piece is as interesting as it is beautiful!

Here's a recording of this piece to enjoy!

Ensemble féminin de musique vocale de Lausanne