Alexis Roland-Manuel
Encyclopedia
Alexis Roland-Manuel was a French
composer and critic, though he is remembered mainly for his work in the latter area.
, to a family of Belgian and Jewish origins. He studied composition under Vincent d'Indy
and Albert Roussel
. As a young man he befriended composer Erik Satie
, who helped him to make numerous influential connections. In 1911, Satie introduced Roland-Manuel to Maurice Ravel
, whose pupil, friend and biographer he soon became.
In 1947, he was appointed Professor of Aesthetics
at the Conservatoire de Paris
, where he remained until his retirement in 1961, making many contributions to musical theory and criticism, even assisting Igor Stravinsky
by ghost-writing the theoretical work "The Poetics of Music". In addition to theoretical works, he wrote and composed various works for stage, especially comic operas, and screen, developing a partnership with director Jean Grémillon
, for five of whose films he composed the scores.
Roland-Manuel's criticism included several monographs on the music of Ravel from the perspective of a respectful pupil and a lifetime friend. The titles include "Ravel", "Ravel et son oeuvre" and "Ravel et son oeuvre dramatique".
Arthur Honegger
dedicated Pastorale d'été
to Roland-Manuel.
He died in Paris in 1966.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
composer and critic, though he is remembered mainly for his work in the latter area.
Biography
He was born Roland Alexis Manuel Lévy in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, to a family of Belgian and Jewish origins. He studied composition under Vincent d'Indy
Vincent d'Indy
Vincent d'Indy was a French composer and teacher.-Life:Paul Marie Théodore Vincent d'Indy was born in Paris into an aristocratic family of royalist and Catholic persuasion. He had piano lessons from an early age from his paternal grandmother, who passed him on to Antoine François Marmontel and...
and Albert Roussel
Albert Roussel
Albert Charles Paul Marie Roussel was a French composer. He spent seven years as a midshipman, turned to music as an adult, and became one of the most prominent French composers of the interwar period...
. As a young man he befriended composer Erik Satie
Erik Satie
Éric Alfred Leslie Satie was a French composer and pianist. Satie was a colourful figure in the early 20th century Parisian avant-garde...
, who helped him to make numerous influential connections. In 1911, Satie introduced Roland-Manuel to Maurice Ravel
Maurice Ravel
Joseph-Maurice Ravel was a French composer known especially for his melodies, orchestral and instrumental textures and effects...
, whose pupil, friend and biographer he soon became.
In 1947, he was appointed Professor of Aesthetics
Aesthetics
Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art, and taste, and with the creation and appreciation of beauty. It is more scientifically defined as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values, sometimes called judgments of sentiment and taste...
at the Conservatoire de Paris
Conservatoire de Paris
The Conservatoire de Paris is a college of music and dance founded in 1795, now situated in the avenue Jean Jaurès in the 19th arrondissement of Paris, France...
, where he remained until his retirement in 1961, making many contributions to musical theory and criticism, even assisting Igor Stravinsky
Igor Stravinsky
Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ; 6 April 1971) was a Russian, later naturalized French, and then naturalized American composer, pianist, and conductor....
by ghost-writing the theoretical work "The Poetics of Music". In addition to theoretical works, he wrote and composed various works for stage, especially comic operas, and screen, developing a partnership with director Jean Grémillon
Jean Grémillon
Jean Grémillon was a French film director. After directing a number of documentaries during the 1920s, many now lost, he had his first substantial success with the dramatic feature Maldone in 1928...
, for five of whose films he composed the scores.
Roland-Manuel's criticism included several monographs on the music of Ravel from the perspective of a respectful pupil and a lifetime friend. The titles include "Ravel", "Ravel et son oeuvre" and "Ravel et son oeuvre dramatique".
Arthur Honegger
Arthur Honegger
Arthur Honegger was a Swiss composer, who was born in France and lived a large part of his life in Paris. He was a member of Les six. His most frequently performed work is probably the orchestral work Pacific 231, which is interpreted as imitating the sound of a steam locomotive.-Biography:Born...
dedicated Pastorale d'été
Pastorale d'été (Honegger)
Pastorale d’été, H. 31 , is a short symphonic poem for chamber orchestra by Arthur Honegger. It was inspired by Honegger's vacation in the Swiss alps above Bern in 1920. It takes about seven or eight minutes to play....
to Roland-Manuel.
He died in Paris in 1966.
Stage
- Isabelle et Pantalon (1922)
- Canarie (1927; for the children's balletBalletBallet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
L'éventail de JeanneL'Éventail de JeanneL'éventail de Jeanne is a children's ballet choreographed in 1927 by Alice Bourgat and Yvonne Franck.The music is a collaborative work by ten French composers, each of whom contributed a stylised dance in classic form:...
, to which ten French composers each contributed a dance) - Le Diable amoureux (1929), operaOperaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
based on the novel The Devil in Love by Jacques CazotteJacques CazotteJacques Cazotte was a French author.Born at Dijon, he was educated by the Jesuits. Cazotte then worked for the French Ministry ofthe Marine and at the age of 27 he obtained a public office at Martinique.... - Canarie (1952: for the collaborative orchestral work La guirlande de CampraLa guirlande de CampraLa guirlande de Campra is collaborative orchestral work written by seven French composers in 1952. It is in the form of variations or meditations on a theme from André Campra's 1717 opera Camille. It was later choreographed as a ballet....
) - Jeanne d'Arc (1955)
Film scores
- L'Etrange Monsieur Victor (1938)
- Lumière d'Eté (1943)
- Le Ciel est à Vous (1943)