Flor Alpaerts

Flor Alpaerts (born September 12, 1876 in Antwerp ; † October 5, 1954 there ) was a Belgian conductor and composer .

Life

Alpaerts studied until 1901 at the Vlaamse Muziekschool in Antwerp (later the Vlaamse Conservatorium), including harmony and composition with Jan Blockx . In 1903 he was given a lectureship in general music theory. Between 1919 and 1951 he conducted the concerts organized by the “Koninklijke Maatschappij voor Dierkunde” Antwerp, became artistic director of the “Fonds Peter Benoit ” and also conducted the choir “Arti Vocali”. As a conductor he worked not only in Belgium, but also in other European countries, and made an important contribution to the spread of the music of his Flemish homeland.

In the 1922/1923 season he directed (together with Arthur Steurbaut ) the Royal Flemish Opera of Antwerp. From 1934 to 1941 Alpaerts was director of the Vlaamse Conservatorium.

The Belgian Obediences website names him a well-known Freemason .

plant

Alpaerts' music is partly impressionistic in color, but then also uses the means of expressionism to turn to neoclassicism in his late work .

The James Ensor Suite (1931), inspired by 4 pictures by the Belgian painter Ensor , is one of the better-known works of Alpaert . His catalog raisonné also includes symphonic poems ( e.g. Pallieter , 1921), a violin concerto, a poème for flute and orchestra, stage music, an opera ( Shylock , 1913), chamber music (including 4 string quartets), piano and vocal works.

literature

• Anne-Marie Riessauw:  Alpaerts, Flor. In: Ludwig Finscher (Hrsg.): The music in past and present . Second edition, personal section, volume 1 (Aagard - Baez). Bärenreiter / Metzler, Kassel et al. 1999, ISBN 3-7618-1111-X  ( online edition , subscription required for full access)

Web links

• Works by and about Flor Alpaerts in the catalog of the German National Library
• Biography and literature in the Study Center Vlaamse Muziek (English)