Marcel Poot
Encyclopedia
Marcel Poot was a Belgian composer
, professor, and musician. His father, Jan Poot, was Director of the Vlaamse Schouwburg (Flemish Theater) in Brussels.
At the Brussels Conservatory
, Poot studied organ
with Gerard Nauwelaarts, and composition
and instrumentation
with Arthur De Greef
, José Sevenans, Martin Lunssens, Lodewijk Mortelmans
, and Paul Gilson
. He also attended the Antwerp Conservatory and furthered his education with Paul Dukas
at the École Normale de Musique de Paris
.
After completing his studies, Poot worked firstly as a music teacher, reviewer, and freelance composer. In 1925, he and several other former students of Gilson's formed a group of musicians called Les Synthétistes, who styled themselves as a Belgian equivalent of the The Mighty Five
in Russia and Les Six
in France. Through the group, they hoped to combine their strength and inject dynamism into an otherwise conservative Belgian musical scene, through the composition of solid contemporary
pieces. Other composers who joined Les Synthétistes were René Bernier, Francis de Bourguignon, Théo de Joncker, Maurice Schoemaker, Jules Strens, and Robert Otlet.
Poot was an active music commentator for fifteen years, finding a principal outlet in the magazine he co-founded with Gilson, La Revue Musicale belge. He also contributed to Le Peuple.
In 1934, Poot seemed to achieve fame outside Belgium almost spontaneously after completing his Ouverture joyeuse (Joyful Overture), a work dedicated to his former teacher Paul Dukas
. He also composed a substantial wind and brass oeuvre which is often played and performed by students and professionals alike.
In 1939, Poot was appointed a Lecturer at the Brussels Conservatory, and later became Professor of counterpoint
and harmony, before succeeding Léon Jongen as Director in 1949 and holding the post until 1966.
In 1960, Poot founded the Union of Belgian Composers
and became its first president.
From 1963 to 1980, Poot chaired the jury of the international Queen Elisabeth Music Competition
and wrote several commissioned works to mark the occasion, one of them being the "Concerto for Piano & Orchestra." originally composed in 1959. It is rarely performed but recently received an American performance in 2007 by the Valley Symphony Orchestra (LAVC)
and pianist Neil Galanter
.
He also served as the director of the Musikkapelle Königin Elisabeth between 1969 and 1976. He was elected to the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Sciences and the Arts.
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, professor, and musician. His father, Jan Poot, was Director of the Vlaamse Schouwburg (Flemish Theater) in Brussels.
At the Brussels Conservatory
Koninklijk Conservatorium (Brussels)
The Royal Conservatory of Brussels is a drama and music college in Brussels, Belgium. An academy for acting and the arts, it has been attended by many of the top actors and actresses in Belgium such as Josse De Pauw, Luk van Mello and Luk De Konink....
, Poot studied organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
with Gerard Nauwelaarts, and composition
Musical composition
Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...
and instrumentation
Instrumentation (music)
In music, instrumentation refers to the particular combination of musical instruments employed in a composition, and to the properties of those instruments individually...
with Arthur De Greef
Arthur De Greef
Arthur De Greef was a Belgian pianist and composer.Born in Louvain, he won first prize in a local music composition when he was only 11, and subsequently enrolled at the Brussels Conservatoire...
, José Sevenans, Martin Lunssens, Lodewijk Mortelmans
Lodewijk Mortelmans
Lodewijk Mortelmans was a Belgian composer and conductor of Flemish ancestry. He was from a family of five children born to Isabella and Charles Mortelmans...
, and 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...
. He also attended the Antwerp Conservatory and furthered his education with Paul Dukas
Paul Dukas
Paul Abraham Dukas was a French composer, critic, scholar and teacher. A studious man, of retiring personality, he was intensely self-critical, and he abandoned and destroyed many of his compositions...
at the École Normale de Musique de Paris
École Normale de Musique de Paris
The École Normale de Musique de Paris is a leading conservatoire located in Paris, France. The school was founded by Auguste Mangeot and pianist Alfred Cortot in 1919...
.
After completing his studies, Poot worked firstly as a music teacher, reviewer, and freelance composer. In 1925, he and several other former students of Gilson's formed a group of musicians called Les Synthétistes, who styled themselves as a Belgian equivalent of the The Mighty Five
The Five
The Five, also known as The Mighty Handful or The Mighty Coterie , refers to a circle of composers who met in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in the years 1856–1870: Mily Balakirev , César Cui, Modest Mussorgsky, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Alexander Borodin...
in Russia and Les Six
Les Six
Les six is a name, inspired by The Five, given in 1920 by critic Henri Collet in an article titled "" to a group of six composers working in Montparnasse whose music is often seen as a reaction against the musical style of Richard Wagner and impressionist music.-Members:Formally, the Groupe des...
in France. Through the group, they hoped to combine their strength and inject dynamism into an otherwise conservative Belgian musical scene, through the composition of solid contemporary
Contemporary classical music
Contemporary classical music can be understood as belonging to the period that started in the mid-1970s with the retreat of modernism. However, the term may also be employed in a broader sense to refer to all post-1945 modern musical forms.-Categorization:...
pieces. Other composers who joined Les Synthétistes were René Bernier, Francis de Bourguignon, Théo de Joncker, Maurice Schoemaker, Jules Strens, and Robert Otlet.
Poot was an active music commentator for fifteen years, finding a principal outlet in the magazine he co-founded with Gilson, La Revue Musicale belge. He also contributed to Le Peuple.
In 1934, Poot seemed to achieve fame outside Belgium almost spontaneously after completing his Ouverture joyeuse (Joyful Overture), a work dedicated to his former teacher Paul Dukas
Paul Dukas
Paul Abraham Dukas was a French composer, critic, scholar and teacher. A studious man, of retiring personality, he was intensely self-critical, and he abandoned and destroyed many of his compositions...
. He also composed a substantial wind and brass oeuvre which is often played and performed by students and professionals alike.
In 1939, Poot was appointed a Lecturer at the Brussels Conservatory, and later became Professor of counterpoint
Counterpoint
In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more voices that are independent in contour and rhythm and are harmonically interdependent . It has been most commonly identified in classical music, developing strongly during the Renaissance and in much of the common practice period,...
and harmony, before succeeding Léon Jongen as Director in 1949 and holding the post until 1966.
In 1960, Poot founded the Union of Belgian Composers
Union of Belgian Composers
Union of Belgian Composers is a Belgian professional organization of composers founded in 1960...
and became its first president.
From 1963 to 1980, Poot chaired the jury of the international Queen Elisabeth Music Competition
Queen Elisabeth Music Competition
The Queen Elisabeth Music Competition, a founding member of the World Federation of International Music Competitions has been, since its foundation, considered the world over to be one of the most prestigious and most difficult. It is devoted to violin , piano , to composition and to singing...
and wrote several commissioned works to mark the occasion, one of them being the "Concerto for Piano & Orchestra." originally composed in 1959. It is rarely performed but recently received an American performance in 2007 by the Valley Symphony Orchestra (LAVC)
Valley Symphony Orchestra (LAVC)
The Valley Symphony Orchestra in Los Angeles, California is a symphonic orchestra that is associated with Los Angeles Valley College. The new and current music director of the orchestra is Michael H. Arshagouni, who assumed the helm of the orchestra for the 2009/10 season. Dr...
and pianist Neil Galanter
Neil Galanter
Neil Galanter is an American pianist in Los Angeles, California, who is a leading specialist in researching and performing the works of Iberian, Belgian, and other European composers including Mompou, Montsalvatge, Blancafort, Espla, and Poot...
.
He also served as the director of the Musikkapelle Königin Elisabeth between 1969 and 1976. He was elected to the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Sciences and the Arts.
External links
- Biography and List of Selected Works from the Belgian Documentation Centre for Contemporary Music (in English).