ôme ▁des ▁Haut es ▁Ét udes ▁Com mer cial es ), ▁following ▁his ▁father ' s ▁wishes . ▁He ▁spent ▁his ▁military ▁service ▁at ▁Vit ré ▁until ▁September ▁ 1 9 0 0 . ▁ ▁Mus ically ▁largely ▁self - t aught , ▁against ▁his ▁parents ' ▁wishes ▁he ▁then ▁went ▁to ▁Paris ▁where ▁he ▁made ▁the ▁acquaint ance ▁of ▁Gabriel ▁F aur é , ▁then ▁organ ist ▁at ▁the ▁E glise ▁de ▁la ▁Made le ine , ▁and ▁received ▁private ▁less ons ▁from ▁him , ▁cut ▁short ▁by ▁his ▁suffering ▁from ▁an emia . ▁Roman ▁Catholic ▁himself , ▁he ▁married ▁his ▁Protest ant ▁wife ▁Mary ▁( 1 8 7 9 – 1 9 5 8 ) ▁in ▁Paris ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 7 , ▁a ▁poet ▁who ▁often ▁provided ▁the ▁words ▁for ▁H au de bert ' s ▁songs ▁and ▁ch oral ▁pieces . ▁He ▁participated ▁in ▁World ▁War ▁I , ▁leaving ▁the ▁army ▁as ▁lieutenant . ▁ ▁He ▁spent ▁his ▁life ▁mainly ▁in ▁Paris ▁where ▁he ▁died . ▁ ▁Music ▁The ▁strength ▁of ▁H au de bert ' s ▁music ▁lay ▁in ▁his ▁mel od ic ▁invent iveness ▁and ▁his ▁music ' s ▁" sing ability ". ▁Although ▁he ▁created ▁a ▁large ▁o e uv re ▁of ▁orch est ral ▁and ▁chamber ▁music , ▁his ▁vocal ▁and ▁ch oral ▁music ▁are ▁regarded ▁as ▁his ▁main ▁achiev ement . ▁His ▁greatest ▁success ▁was ▁the ▁or atorio ▁Dieu ▁vain que ur ▁for ▁vocal ▁solo ists , ▁mixed ▁ch orus , ▁organ ▁and