François van Campenhout

Francois ( Frans) Van Campenhout [ vɑn kɑmpənhʌu̯t ] ( born February 5, 1779 Brussels, † April 24, 1848 ibid ) was a Belgian opera singer, conductor and composer who was best known as the composer of the Belgian national anthem, the Belgian national anthem, .

Life

Born the son of an innkeeper, showed early musical ability. He took his first violin lessons at the famous violinist and composer Engelbert Pauwels. At age 16, he hit his parents' wishes a legal career, but broke it off after a short time and was temporary violinist at the Théâtre de la Monnaie. There, too, kept him but not for long because he recognized his vocal potential.

By the way he was acting in amateur theater troupe La Société de la Comédie bourgeoise, initially mainly in the light genre. When they became aware of him in Brussels, he also received dramatic singer roles in Ghent ( Retorica Theatre), Brussels and Antwerp. In Dalayracs Opera Azemia was discovered in 1798 to be sängerisches talent. Even on foreign opera houses turned successful one: Between 1801 and 1828, he sang in Brest, Paris, Amsterdam ( where taught him the Dutch court employed a French composer harmony and where in 1808 his first opera Gratius ou le Château de Loewenstein wrote ), The Hague, Rouen, Bordeaux and Lyon. For the French public, he renounced the name prefix " Van ".

As a composer you perceived him, and when in 1828 the singing career came to an end, Campenhout shifted entirely on composing. His work - consisting of several operas, orchestral and sacred music - but is today almost forgotten all.

He was almost on my way to The Hague, where he was offered a chair at the Royal Conservatory and the management of the theater of the royal residence, as the Belgian Revolution broke out. He leaned in favor of his homeland from, he did not fight on the barricades, but he supported the revolution elsewhere: To a vierstrophigen song of the poet Jenneval he wrote a melody that should be as Brabançonne the Belgian national anthem later. But even at charity events for fighters or wounded, he sat on the organizing committee. Wherever he went, they asked him, "his" Brabançonne to sing, which he further gained popularity quickly.

After the revolution, the beginning of 1831, Van Campenhout would have been the ideal person to lead the re-opened the Théâtre de la Monnaie because of his talent and experience. Six months that lasted the reopening, but sufficient to make him fall into oblivion. Twice we pulled him in front of another candidate. Soon after, Van Campenhout was without work. In 1835 he was awarded the Iron Cross, namely, a gold medal and a diamond needle, but no money for his musical achievements. Only after intervention by Félix Delhasse and a proposal by Charles Rogier towards him a pension of 1,200 francs in 1845, just three years before his death, granted.

Van Campenhout was a member of the Brussels Masonic lodge Les Amis Philanthropes.