
Édouard Lalo
'Édouard Victor Antoine Lalo' (
January 27,
1823 –
April 22,
1892) was a
French composer of Spanish descent.
Born in
Lille, he studied first at that city's conservatoire, and then at the
Paris Conservatoire under
Berlioz's old enemy
François Antoine Habeneck. For years, he worked as a
viola player (specializing in
chamber music) and teacher in
Paris before gaining fame as a composer, which eventually arrived when he was in his late forties. He died in Paris.
Although Lalo is not one of the most immediately recognized names in French music, his distinctive style has earned him some degree of popularity. The ''
Symphonie Espagnole'' for violin and
orchestra still enjoys a prominent place in violinists' repertoire. He is also known for other solo works, including his
Cello Concerto in D minor, and for his
opera "''Le roi d'
Ys''" (premiered 1888, and based on the same
Breton legend which
Debussy afterwards, and much more famously, evoked in ''
La Cathédrale Engloutie''). His ''Symphony in G Minor'' was championed ardently by
Sir Thomas Beecham, though few other conductors have shown any interest in the piece. Lalo's style is notable for strong
melodies and colourful
orchestration, with a rather Germanic solidity that sets him apart from most of his compatriots. This distinctive style and strong expressive bent can be seen even in such compactly constructed works as the ''Scherzo in D minor'', one of Lalo's most colorful compositions.
Lalo's son 'Pierre Lalo' (6 September 1866 - 9 June 1943) was a music critic who wrote for ''Le Temps'' and other French periodicals from 1898 until his death. The Argentinian composer
Lalo Schifrin was named after Edouard.
Selected works
★
Cello Concerto in D minor
★ Piano Concerto in F minor
★ Violin Concerto in F major
★
Symphonie Espagnole (for violin and orchestra)
★ Symphony in G minor
★ Two Aubades for orchestra
★ Divertissement for orchestra
★ Norwegian Rhapsody for orchestra
★ Scherzo in D minor for orchestra
★ Two Namouna Suites
★
Le roi d'Ys (an opera)
★ Three piano trios, the first of which in C minor (opus 7) was featured in the 1983 vampire/art movie ''The Hunger''.
External links
★
Lalo Piano Trio Nos. 1 & 2 sound-bites and short biography
★