Albert Dupuis

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Albert Dupuis in the 1950s

Albert Dupuis (born March 1, 1877 in Verviers , † September 19, 1967 in Brussels ) was a Belgian composer .

Life

As the son of a music teacher, Albert Dupuis had early access to musical education. At the age of eight he took lessons at the conservatory in his hometown Verviers, where he learned to play the violin, piano and flute. After the death of his parents, at the age of 15, he worked as a tutor for Verviers Grand-Théâtre and continued his studies, especially with François Duyzings in harmony . He was an excellent student and brought his first Opéra comique to the stage at the age of 18 .

Vincent d'Indy became aware of him in 1897 and had him come to Paris to work at the Schola Cantorum , where he worked as a repetitor of the choir of St-Eustache de Paris . In 1900 he returned to Verviers to marry. In 1903 he won the Belgian Premier Grand Prix de Rome (not to be confused with the French Prix ​​de Rome ) with his cantata La Chanson d'Halewyn , and on March 5 of the same year his opera Jean-Michel premiered at the Théâtre de La Monnaie .

In 1905 Dupuis was nominated for the post of conductor of the Ghent Theater . He accepted this, but only stayed for one season, because as early as 1906 he gave up this activity in favor of composition. In 1907 the Verviers City Council offered him the position of director of the local conservatory. He stayed there until his retirement in 1947. During his lifetime he enjoyed great success with his works in Brussels and the larger cities of Belgium (especially in Flanders) and in France, especially with his opera La Passion , which was performed over 150 times in at the Brussels Opera La Monnaie and conducted by Dupuis himself. His music was also appreciated and played by several other composers and conductors, for example Eugène Ysaÿe , who made Dupuis' works known in the United States. The master thanked Ysaÿe for his appreciation by dedicating several works.

Two of his daughters followed his path into music, Gislène as a cellist and Irène as a violinist. His grandson Philippe-Louis Dupuis (* 1958) is a pianist and organist, singer, trumpeter and a successful composer who composed numerous compositions in various fields, including 7 piano concertos.

Characteristic features of his music

Shaped by his master Vincent d'Indy, he belongs to the school of César Franck . In terms of style, however, he is closer to Gabriel Fauré ; his music can be characterized as impressionistic . He was primarily an opera composer (15 works of this genre are available), and all of his works are very lyrical.

Works (selection)

Stage and vocal works

  • 15 operas including:
    • Jean-Michel , 1900 ( Breitkopf & Härtel , Leipzig)
    • Fidélaine , 1908–1909 (Breitkopf & Härtel, Leipzig)
    • La Grande Bretèche , 1911–1912 (after Balzac ) (Durand-Salabert-Eschig, Paris)
    • La Passion , 1912–1914 (Chouden, Paris)
  • five oratorios
  • five cantatas, a. a .:
    • La Chanson d'Halewyn , 1903 (Durand-Salabert-Eschig, Paris)
  • about 30 Mélodies (songs for voice and piano), including:
    • Collection of 12 Mélodies (Schott, Brussels and Katto, Brussels)

also

  • eight ballets
  • 15 works for voice and orchestra
  • 20 choral works

Orchestral works

  • about 30 orchestral works, including:
  • four compositions for cello and orchestra, including:
    • Concerto pour violoncelle (handwritten)
    • Legend , 1909
  • six works for piano and orchestra, including:
    • Concerto pour piano
  • nine works for violin and orchestra, including:
    • Concerto pour violon
    • Fantaisie rhapsodique , 1906 (Schott, Brussels)

Chamber music

  • about 20 pieces for piano, including:
    • Suite champêtre (Cranz, Bruxelles)
    • Pièces paradoxales , 1923 (Bayard-Nizet, Stavelot)
  • two trios for violin, viola and piano
  • two string quartets
  • Works for piano and violin, including:
    • Sonate pour violon et piano , 1922 (Senart, Paris)
  • eleven pieces for viola and piano

literature

  • Jacques Dor: Albert Dupuis, Notices biographiques et critiques . Bénard, Liège 1935
  • La Grande Bretêche d'Albert Dupuis , Gazette de Cologne, April 5, 1913

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Thierry Levaux: Le Dictionnaire des Compositeurs de Belgique du Moyen Age à nos jours . Editions: "Art in Belgium", Ohain-Lasne 2006, ISBN 2-930338-37-7 , p. 210.
  2. ↑ recorded by René Defossez for RTBF with the National Orchestra of Belgium
personal data
SURNAME Dupuis, Albert
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Belgian composer
DATE OF BIRTH March 1, 1877
PLACE OF BIRTH Verviers
DATE OF DEATH September 19, 1967
Place of death Brussels