Marcel Quinet
Encyclopedia
Marcel Alfred Quinet was a Belgian
composer
and pianist
.
Conservatory briefly and then the Brussels Conservatory, where he obtained prizes for harmony in 1936, counterpoint in 1937, fugue in 1938, and a higher piano diploma in 1943. Among his teachers at the Conservatory were Raymond Moulaert and Léon Jongen. A continued his studies with Jean Absil
, and won the Belgian Prix de Rome
in 1945 for his cantata La vague et le sillon. In 1946
he was awarded the Agniez Prize for his orchestral Divertissement. In 1943 he became the head of the piano faculty at the Brussels Conservatory where he also taught harmony and fugue. Among his pupils there was Paul Danblon
. In 1956 he was appointed professor at the Chapelle Musicale Reine Elisabeth. In 1957 he won second prize in the Queen Elisabeth Music Competition
and his Piano Concerto no.1 was used as a test piece in the 1964 session of the same contest. In 1976 he was elected a member of the Royal Academy of Belgium
.
Quinet’s music is very similar in style to Hindemith and is distinguished by formal clarity and the absence of lyrical effusion. His earlier works were more closely related to Absil's influence, but by the early 1950s his work began to display a more individual style as in Three Orchestral Pieces (1951), which is more reminiscent of French music with orchestration akin to Bartók. Quinet often used established models, such as the passacaglia
or old dance
forms. For example, his orchestral Variations are cast as a Baroque
suite
, and the ballet
La nef des fous is built as a symphony
with a rapid principal theme alternating with slow, expressive passages. His music grew from polytonality to atonality but always remained clear in timbre and texture. In addition to numerous orchestral works, chamber music, two ballets, and some choral works, Quinet wrote one opera
, Les Deux bavards, which premiered in 1966.
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...
composer
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...
and pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
.
Biography
He studied at the MonsMons
Mons is a Walloon city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut, of which it is the capital. The Mons municipality includes the old communes of Cuesmes, Flénu, Ghlin, Hyon, Nimy, Obourg, Baudour , Jemappes, Ciply, Harmignies, Harveng, Havré, Maisières, Mesvin, Nouvelles,...
Conservatory briefly and then the Brussels Conservatory, where he obtained prizes for harmony in 1936, counterpoint in 1937, fugue in 1938, and a higher piano diploma in 1943. Among his teachers at the Conservatory were Raymond Moulaert and Léon Jongen. A continued his studies with Jean Absil
Jean Absil
Jean Absil was a Belgian modernist music composer, organist, and professor at the Brussels Conservatory.- Biography :...
, and won the Belgian Prix de Rome
Prix de Rome (Belgium)
The Belgian Prix de Rome is an award for young artists, created in 1832, following the example of the original French Prix de Rome. The Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp organised the prize until 1920, when the national government took over. The first prize is also sometimes called the Grand Prix...
in 1945 for his cantata La vague et le sillon. In 1946
he was awarded the Agniez Prize for his orchestral Divertissement. In 1943 he became the head of the piano faculty at the Brussels Conservatory where he also taught harmony and fugue. Among his pupils there was Paul Danblon
Paul Danblon
Paul Danblon is a Belgian composer, opera director and administrator, and journalist. He was one of the pioneers of scientific journalism on RTBF . In 1954, after graduating in chemistry from the Université Libre de Bruxelles, Danblon joined the RTBF current events programme, Carnets de...
. In 1956 he was appointed professor at the Chapelle Musicale Reine Elisabeth. In 1957 he won second prize in the 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 his Piano Concerto no.1 was used as a test piece in the 1964 session of the same contest. In 1976 he was elected a member of the Royal Academy of Belgium
The Royal Academies for Science and the Arts of Belgium
There are two Royal Academies for Science and the Arts in Belgium, corresponding to the two main languages of the country, Dutch and French . The Academies are located in the Palace of Academies in Brussels....
.
Quinet’s music is very similar in style to Hindemith and is distinguished by formal clarity and the absence of lyrical effusion. His earlier works were more closely related to Absil's influence, but by the early 1950s his work began to display a more individual style as in Three Orchestral Pieces (1951), which is more reminiscent of French music with orchestration akin to Bartók. Quinet often used established models, such as the passacaglia
Passacaglia
The passacaglia is a musical form that originated in early seventeenth-century Spain and is still used by contemporary composers. It is usually of a serious character and is often, but not always, based on a bass-ostinato and written in triple metre....
or old dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
forms. For example, his orchestral Variations are cast as a Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
suite
Suite
In music, a suite is an ordered set of instrumental or orchestral pieces normally performed in a concert setting rather than as accompaniment; they may be extracts from an opera, ballet , or incidental music to a play or film , or they may be entirely original movements .In the...
, and the ballet
Ballet
Ballet 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...
La nef des fous is built as a symphony
Symphony
A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, scored almost always for orchestra. A symphony usually contains at least one movement or episode composed according to the sonata principle...
with a rapid principal theme alternating with slow, expressive passages. His music grew from polytonality to atonality but always remained clear in timbre and texture. In addition to numerous orchestral works, chamber music, two ballets, and some choral works, Quinet wrote one opera
Opera
Opera 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...
, Les Deux bavards, which premiered in 1966.
Sources
- Henri Vanhulst. The New Grove Dictionary of OperaNew Grove Dictionary of OperaThe New Grove Dictionary of Opera is an encyclopedia of opera, considered to be one of the best general reference sources on the subject. It is the largest work on opera in English, and in its printed form, amounts to 5,448 pages in four volumes....
, edited by Stanley Sadie (1992), ISBN 0-333-73432-7 and ISBN 1-56159-228-5