Société Nationale de Musique
In December 1883 Messager and Emmanuel Chabrier gave the first performance of the latter's "Trois valses romantiques" at the Société Nationale de Musique. The concert also included the premiere of the two-piano version of "España", arranged by Messager. Messager and Chabrier were close friends until the latter's death in 1894. Both were known for their comic operas and opérettes, but Chabrier's one serious opera, "Gwendoline", appealed strongly to Messager, who vowed to conduct it in Paris, which he later did. He also prepared a piano reduction of the orchestral parts for the vocal score of the work.