Julianus Marie August de Boeck (Merchtem

Merchtem

Merchtem is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the villages of Brussegem and Hamme, the hamlet of Ossel and Peizegem, and Merchtem proper. On July 9, 2009 Merchtem had a total population of 15,298...

, Belgium

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

, May 9, 1865 – Merchtem

Merchtem

Merchtem is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the villages of Brussegem and Hamme, the hamlet of Ossel and Peizegem, and Merchtem proper. On July 9, 2009 Merchtem had a total population of 15,298...

, October 9, 1937) was a Flemish

Flemish people

The Flemings or Flemish are the Dutch-speaking inhabitants of Belgium, where they are mostly found in the northern region of Flanders. They are one of two principal cultural-linguistic groups in Belgium, the other being the French-speaking Walloons...

 composer, organist and music pedagogue.

From 1880 he studied organ at the Royal Conservatory in Brussels

Brussels

Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...

 under Alphonse Mailly from whom he became an assistant until 1902.
In 1889 he met the young Paul Gilson

Paul Gilson

Paul Gilson was a Belgian musician and composer.-Biography:Gilson was born in Brussels. In 1866, his family moved to Ruisbroek in the Belgian province of Brabant. There he studied theory with the organist and choir director Auguste Cantillon, and began writing works for orchestra and choir...

 who became his close friend, and, despite their same age, his teacher for orchestration and his motivator for composition.

He became an organist at various churches in Belgian villages (1892-1894 in Merchtem, 1894-1920 in Elsene). His academic career continued in 1907 as harmony professor at the conservatory of Antwerp (1909-1920) and the conservatory of Brussels, and as director of the conservatory of Mechelen

Mechelen

Mechelen Footnote: Mechelen became known in English as 'Mechlin' from which the adjective 'Mechlinian' is derived...

 (1921-1930). In 1930 August de Boeck retired to his birthplace.

His style was, together with that of Paul Gilson, influenced by the Russian Five (especially Rimsky-Korsakov), and they introduced musical Impressionism

Impressionism

Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement that originated with a group of Paris-based artists whose independent exhibitions brought them to prominence during the 1870s and 1880s...

 into Belgium.

Orchestral Works

• 1893 Rhapsodie Dahoméenne
• 1895 Symphony in g
• 1923 Fantasy on two Flemish folk tunes
• 1926 Fantasy for oboe and orchestra
• 1929 Concerto for violin and orchestra
• 1931 Nocturne
• 1932 Concerto for piano and orchestra
• 1936 Cantilène for cello and chamber orchestra
• 1937 In schuur
• Cinderella, symphonic poem
• Elegy for string orchestra
• Gavotte for string orchestra

Sacred Works

• Three Masses, for three voices and organ
• 17 Spiritual Songs
• 1898 Trois Pièces, for organ

1. Prélude

2. Andante

3. Allegretto

• Allegro con fuoco, for organ
• Marche Nuptiale , for organ

Secular Vocal Works

• Songs: 54 on Flemish texts; 45 on French texts; 57 children’s songs
  • Deux nouvelles Stances, for mezzo and piano
  • Enfantines, four songs for mezzo and piano
  • J' avais un coeur, for bariton and orchestra
  • In het woud, for sopran and orchestra (after a text of G. J. P. van Straaten)
  • L' église paysanne, for bariton and orchestra
  • Mignonne for bariton and orchestra
  • Pour tes dents de nacre, for mezzo and orchestra
  • Six songs after poems of Jeanne Cuisinier, for mezzo and piano
  • Soirée de Septembre, for bariton and orchestra
  • Stances à Marylyse, six songs for mezzo and orchestra
  • Two songs after poems of Charles van Lerberghe, for mezzo and piano
• 12 Cantatas
  • Gloria Flori for chorus and orchestra
• 38 Motets

Operas and stage works

• 1901 Théroigne de Méricourt, Singspiel in two acts - libretto: Léonce du Catillon
• 1903 Winternachtsdroom, Singspiel in one act - libretto: Léonce du Catillon
• 1906 De Rijndwergen, musical fairy tale in three acts - libretto: Pol de Mont
• 1909 Reinaert de Vos, opera, in three acts - libretto: Raf Verhulst
• 1918 Papa Poliet, operette - libretto: Jan Vanderlee
• 1921 La Route d'Emeraude, lyric opera in four acts - libretto: Max Hautier naar het gelijknamig roman van Eugène Demolder
• 1929 Totole, operette - libretto: A. V. Lions

Incidental Music

• 1894 La Chevalière d’Eon (G. Eekhoud)
• 1909 Jesus de Nazarener (R. Verhulst)

Chamber Music

• 50 Compositions for piano
  • Nocturne, for piano solo
• 19 Works for piano and solo instrument
  • Sonata, for cello and piano (1894)
  • Cantilene, for cello and piano

Works for fanfare

• 1893 Rapsodie dahoméenne
• 1896 Symfonische Suite uit "La Phalène" - "De Nachtvlinder"
• 1902 Fantaisie
• 1912 Jubelmars - Marche Jubilaire
• 1929 Excelsior
• 1934 Geuze Lambik
• 1935 Vrijheidsgeest
• Pasquinade
• Marche Nuptiale
• Marche Solennelle
• Ave
• Bever en zoom
• Dyones
• Fanfare
• Impromptu
• Kapperpolka
• Oomken
• Pan
• Siskioo
• Scherzando
• Wozonmarch
• Floria patri
• Panache
• Soetendael
• Supermarch
• Snip - Snap
• Triplex
• Wals
• Plechtige Stoet

External links