Max d'Ollone
Maximilien-Paul-Marie-Félix d'Ollone was a French composer, who was born on 13 June 1875 at Besançon and died in Paris in 1959.[1]
Life and career
He started composing very early, entering the Paris Conservatoire at 6, winning many prizes, receiving the encouragement of Gounod, Saint-Saëns, Massenet, Thomas and Delibes.[2] His teachers at the Conservatoire were Lavignac, Massenet, Gédalge and Lenepveu; he won the Prix de Rome in 1897.
He was director of music in Angers, professor at the Paris Conservatoire and director of the Opéra-Comique. In 1932 he wrote three important articles for Le Ménestrel (29 July, 9 and 16 December) arguing for a more populist approach to composition.[3]
In addition to the works listed below, d'Ollone produced a number of song cycles (including "Les Chants d'Ailleurs"; " Les Chants d'Exil"; "Impressions d'Automne"), which demonstrate a considerable mastery of the French mélodie. There are several works for orchestra, solo instrument and orchestra, and piano works.
Works
His works include:
- Frédégonde - winning cantata for the Prix de Rome in 1897.
- Jean (opera in five acts, 1900-1905)
- Bacchus et Silène (ballet, 1901, Béziers)
- Le retour (drame lyrique in two acts to his own libretto, 1911, Angers)
- Les amants de Rimini (opera in four acts to his own libretto)
- L'etrangère (opera in two acts)
- Les uns et les autres (comédie lyrique in one act with text by Paul Verlaine, 6 November 1922, Opéra-Comique)
- L'Arlequin (comédie lyrique in five acts, 22 December 1924, Paris Opera)
- George Dandin (opéra comique in three acts after Molière, 1930)
- Le temple abandonné (one-act ballet, 1931, Monte Carlo)
- La Samaritaine (opera in three acts after Rostand, 1937, Paris)
- Olympe de Clèves (opera in four acts after Dumas, unpublished)
Selected recordings
- Musiques pour le Prix de Rome 2CD Hervé Niquet Glossa 2013
- Romantic Piano Trios - Trio Anima Mundi (Divine Art) dda25102 (2013)
- features Piano Trio
References
- ↑ Smith, R. Langham "Max d'Ollone". In: New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London and New York: Macmillan, 1997.
- ↑ Landormy, Paul. (1943) La musique française après Debussy. Paris: Gallimard.
- ↑ Landormy (1943)