Absil, Jean
Jean Absil, one of the greatest European composers of the twentieth century, was born in 1893 at Bon-Secours, a village in the municipality of Péruwelz, Hainaut. He wrote five grand symphonies, in the years 1920, 1936, 1943, 1969 and 1970. Numbers two, three and four are available to the general publc at Youtube. The first of his works I heard was in fact the second symphony, with its astonishing vitalty and vigor.
His style is essentially polyphonic and polymodal, with different modes used in each composition, although there is a predilection for intervals of an augmented fourth and a diminished octave. Changes in metre and irrational divisions are frequent; sometimes there are superimpositions of triple and binary metres, or of differently divided gruppettos, so producing characteristically vigorous effects.
number 1 opus 1, 1920
number 2 opus 25, 1936
number 3 opus 57, 1943
number 4 opus 142, 1969
number 5 opus 148, 1970
Further major works are:
Violin Concerto no. 1, opus 11 {1933)
Piano Concerto no. 1, opus 30 (1937) [YT]
Cello Concertino, opus 42 (1940)
Variations symphoniques, opus 50 (1942)
Viola Concerto, opus 54 (1942)
Romanian Rhapsody, for violin and orchestra (1943) [YT]
Fantaisie concertante, opus 99, for violin and orchestra (1958) [YT]
Concertino, opus 122, for viola and strings (1964)
Violin Concerto no. 2, opus 124 (1964)
Piano Concerto no. 2, opus 131 (1967) [YT]
Piano Concerto no. 3, opus 162 (1973) [YT]
Those available to the public at Youtube are here marked YT.
Jean Absil, one of the greatest European composers of the twentieth century, was born in 1893 at Bon-Secours, a village in the municipality of Péruwelz, Hainaut. He wrote five grand symphonies, in the years 1920, 1936, 1943, 1969 and 1970. Numbers two, three and four are available to the general publc at Youtube. The first of his works I heard was in fact the second symphony, with its astonishing vitalty and vigor.
His style is essentially polyphonic and polymodal, with different modes used in each composition, although there is a predilection for intervals of an augmented fourth and a diminished octave. Changes in metre and irrational divisions are frequent; sometimes there are superimpositions of triple and binary metres, or of differently divided gruppettos, so producing characteristically vigorous effects.
number 1 opus 1, 1920
number 2 opus 25, 1936
number 3 opus 57, 1943
number 4 opus 142, 1969
number 5 opus 148, 1970
Further major works are:
Violin Concerto no. 1, opus 11 {1933)
Piano Concerto no. 1, opus 30 (1937) [YT]
Cello Concertino, opus 42 (1940)
Variations symphoniques, opus 50 (1942)
Viola Concerto, opus 54 (1942)
Romanian Rhapsody, for violin and orchestra (1943) [YT]
Fantaisie concertante, opus 99, for violin and orchestra (1958) [YT]
Concertino, opus 122, for viola and strings (1964)
Violin Concerto no. 2, opus 124 (1964)
Piano Concerto no. 2, opus 131 (1967) [YT]
Piano Concerto no. 3, opus 162 (1973) [YT]
Those available to the public at Youtube are here marked YT.
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