Outrage over accusations against Dutilleux
The mayor of the 4th arrondissement of Paris refuses to approve an honorary plaque on the house of the composer Dutilleux's long-time residence. The reason given has caused consternation and incomprehension among experts.
Mayor Christophe Girard and city councillor Karen Taieb want to prevent the commemorative plaque because they accuse Henri Dutilleux, who died in 2013, of collaborating with the Nazis. The reason they give is that the composer wrote the music for an alleged propaganda film, the 1942 documentary "Forces sur le stade", which propagated the benefits of sport for the Vichy regime.
Henri Dutilleux worked as a teacher and musician in Paris during the occupation and directed the choir of the Paris Opera from 1942. From 1945 he was head of the music department at Radio France. His friends included Mstislav Rostropovich and Isaac Stern.
In a Online petition prominent French musicians defend themselves against what they see as an unfounded allegation. They accuse Girard and Taieb of historical incompetence and emphasize that Dutilleux was actively involved in the resistance against the National Socialists and their French collaborators during the Paris occupation.
