René Defossez

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René Defossez (born October 4, 1905 in Spa , † May 20, 1988 in Etterbeek ) was a Belgian composer and conductor .

Life

As a child, René Defossez received violin and piano lessons from his father, a violinist in the Spa Casino Orchestra. In 1923 he began his studies at the Liège Conservatory, where he received his diploma in violin, harmony, counterpoint and fugue theory, music history and chamber music. In the first time after his training he appeared mainly as a violinist in the Liège, Verviers and Spa area. In 1929 he began as the conductor of the Spa Casino Orchestra and presented his first compositions. In 1935 he received the 1st Prix ​​de Rome with his cantata "Le Vieux Soudard" . Meanwhile appointed music director of his hometown, he has been able to accompany internationally known soloists such as Alfred Cortot , Arthur Grumiaux , Emil Gilels , Moura Lympany , Arthur Rubinstein and Jacques Thibaud with his orchestra .

In 1937 Defossez was initially "Chef d'orchestre" at the Brussels Opera La Monnaie under Maurice Corneil de Thoran , after whose death in 1953 he became "Directeur de la musique", now under Joseph Rogatchewsky. In addition, he worked as a university lecturer, from 1941 professor of harmony at the Liège Conservatory, from 1946 professor of orchestral conducting at the Brussels Conservatory . In 1959 he left the Monnaie Theater and left the house with a repertoire of 120 newly performed works.

In 1951 and 1956, a violin concerto and a piano concerto from his pen were chosen as compulsory works at the Queen Elisabeth Competition . After the termination of his engagement at the Monnaie, Defossez appeared primarily as a conductor of various Belgian and foreign orchestras.

In his compositions, he feels more drawn to impressionism than to serial music and other avant-garde currents that he found too intellectual. His profound knowledge of the orchestra and the technical possibilities of the instruments allowed him to create brilliant works.

At the age of 68 he was appointed professor of orchestral conducting in Mexico City at the Conservatorio Nacional and shortly thereafter appointed artistic director of the Palacio de Bellas Artes , the opera there. He worked there in the 1975 and 1976 seasons.

Awards

In 1970 he was accepted into the Royal "Académie des Beaux-Arts" and received the award of Knight of the Order of the Crown from the Belgian King . The cities of Frameries and Spa made Dofossez an honorary citizen. The music academy in Spa also bears his name.

Works (selection)

René Defossez left around 200 compositions.

Orchestral works

  • Aquarium, three impressions for chamber orchestra (1927)
  • Arioso et moto perpetuo (1968)
  • Sinfonietta de printemps (1975)

Solo concerts

  • Concerto for trombone and wind orchestra (1948)
  • Violin Concerto (1951)
  • Concerto for 2 pianos and orchestra (1956)

Chamber music

  • 2 string quartets (1950)
  • Les caprices de ma poupée for piano (1950)
  • Impromptu for viola and piano (1976)
  • Sonatina for harp (1976)
  • Cinq caractères sous forme de pièces brèves for violin and viola (1978)
  • Improvisation et Fugato for violin, or viola, or cello, or double bass and piano (1978)

Operas

  • " Le subterfuge improvisé " (1938)
  • " Les surprises de l'amour " (1961)
  • " Thriller " (1976)

Choir and orchestra

  • Cantata: "La conversion de saint Hubert" (1933)
  • Cantata: "Le vieux Soudard" (1935)
  • Oratorio: "La frise empourprée" (1939)
  • Oratorio: "Ceux de la citadelle de Liège" (1947)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d Anne Defossez: Defossez, René. In: CeBeDem. 2004, archived from the original on November 9, 2009 (French).;
personal data
SURNAME Defossez, René
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Belgian composer and conductor
DATE OF BIRTH 4th October 1905
PLACE OF BIRTH Spa , Belgium
DATE OF DEATH May 20, 1988
Place of death Etterbeek , Belgium