ABSTRACT
This chapter talks about a composer, scientist, inventor, philosopher and Rear-Admiral Jean Cras was a French musician. But this French musician was also Proper Breton. Jean Cras' final decade afforded him the greatest stability he had known since childhood. With Polypheme's victory in 1921, the direction of both Cras' military and musical careers changed dramatically. Over a decade had elapsed before Jean Cras resumed writing chamber music. Jean Cras' Piano Quintet reflects vividly the enthusiastic voyager rather than the physically endangered, spiritually tormented military officer. Cras has described this movement as a voyager's joyous reminiscences upon returning home. Cras orchestrates the biting opening gesture of the song by doubling the entry in the trumpet, clarinet and first violins. All the biographical notices on Franz Toussaint indicate that, like Jean Cras, he stands out as another of France's unsung heroes. Cras follows the poetry's mood swings faithfully.
