Édouard Lalo

Édouard Victor Antoine Lalo ( born January 27, 1823 in Lille, † April 22, 1892 in Paris) was a French composer.

Life

Lalo, son of an immigrant from Spain to France in the 16th century officer's family showed an early interest in music, so that he entered in 1833 in the conservatory of his hometown to get violin, cello and composition lessons there. In 1839 he moved to Paris, where he studied until 1847 at the Conservatory at François- Antoine Habeneck violin. He also took private lessons in composition, described later, however, as self-taught composer. On material support his family, he had to give, as they had provided for him an officer's career.

In the following years, Lalo earned his living primarily by teaching; He also worked at times (1849/1850) as an orchestral musician. Particularly active he was in Paris chamber music life (especially as a violist in Armigaud Quartet ). In 1865 he married his second wife, the contralto Julie Bernier de Maligny what he had opened other social circles. From about 1870 Lalo had greater success as a composer. Protrude his second violin concerto, which he called Symphonie espagnole, and in 1877 composed Cello Concerto, one of the best known of all his kind. Lalo joined the Société nationale de musique and established contacts with major artists such as Pablo de Sarasate. In the following years, his recognition multiplied increasingly, he was also given more attention internationally. His last and the largest success was the premiere of his opera Le Roi d' Ys in 1888. Nevertheless, its importance was clearly partially until years after his death.

Style

Lalo himself saw his musical roots mainly in the German-speaking world, especially in Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert and Robert Schumann. Especially in its traditional sense of form occurs this orientation clearly to light. But there are also other influences can be observed in his work. From about 1870, he sat down more with the folk music of various countries (France, Spain, Scandinavia, Russia) apart, which would shape his musical language, especially in harmonious ways: on the one hand by the use of church modes, on the other hand by the inclusion of comparatively bold twists. However, the folkloric element dominates only rare, but is used rather moderate. Other characteristics of Lalo's musical language are the thrilling drama of many works, an amazingly sophisticated rhythm, which is often built triplet, as well as a remarkably complex sense of different timbres. All these characteristics encountered during his lifetime to a lot of misunderstanding, Lalo was shunned in his home as a supposed Wagnerian; de facto, however, they made him an important precursor of Impressionism, which was very much appreciated about by Claude Debussy because of the color of his works and his progressive harmony.

Works

Orchestral works

• Symphony in G minor ( 1886)
• Divertissement (1869 )
• Piano Concerto in F minor (1888 )
• Violin Concerto No. 1 in F major, Op 20 (1873 )
• Violin Concerto No. 2 in D minor, Op 21 Symphony espagnole (1873 /74)
• Violin Concerto No. 3 Fantaisie norvégienne (1878 )
• Violin Concerto No. 4 in F minor, op.29 Concerto russe (1879 )
• Cello Concerto in D minor (1877 )

Stage works and other vocal music

• Fiesque, opera ( 1866-68 ) - total recording under Alain Altinoglu
• Le Roi d' Ys, opera ( 1875-87 )
• La jacquerie, opera (1889, unfinished)
• Néron, Pantomime (1891 )
• 23 songs

Chamber Music

• Fantaisie original for violin and piano in A major, Op 1 ( 1848 )
• Allegro maestoso for Violin and Piano in C minor, Op 2 ( 1848 )
• Deux impromptus [ Espérance, insouciance ] for Violin and Piano, Op 4 ( 1848 )
• Arlequin, esquisse caractéristique for Violin / Cello and Piano ( 1848 )
• Piano Trio No. 1 in C minor, Opus 7 ( 1850 )
• Impromptus [ Pastorale, Scherzo alla Pulcinella ] for Violin and Piano, Op 8 ( 1850 )
• Piano Trio No. 2 in B Minor (1852 )
• Sonata for Violin and Piano, Op 12 (1853 ) [ also Grand duo concertant ]
• Deux pièces [ Chanson villageoise, Serenade ] for cello and piano, Op 14 (1854 )
• Allegro for Cello and Piano in E flat major, Op 16 (1856 )
• Soirées parisiennes for Violin and Piano, Op 18 ( 1850) [ together with C. Wehle ]
• Sonata for cello and piano (1856 )
• String Quartet in E flat major, Op 19 (1859 ) [ revised in 1880 as Op 45 ]
• Piano Trio No. 3 in A minor, Op 26 (1880 )
• Guitare for Violin and Piano, Op 28 (1882 )
• String Quartet in E flat major, Op 45 (1880 ) [ first version in 1859, Op 19]