Max d'Ollone

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Max d'Ollone photographed by Nadar

Maximilien-Paul-Marie-Félix d'Ollone (13 June 1875 – 15 May 1959)[1] was a 20th-century French composer.

Life and career[edit]

Born in Besançon, d'Ollone started composing very early, entering the Paris Conservatoire at 6, winning many prizes, receiving the encouragement of Gounod, Saint-Saëns, Massenet, Thomas and Delibes.[2] His teachers at the Conservatoire were Lavignac, Massenet, Gédalge and Lenepveu; he won the Prix de Rome in 1897.

He was director of music in Angers, professor at the Paris Conservatoire and director of the Opéra-Comique. His work was part of the music event in the art competition at the 1912 Summer Olympics.[3] In 1932 he wrote three important articles for Le Ménestrel (29 July, 9 and 16 December) arguing for a more populist approach to composition.[4]

At the time of the German occupation of France during World War II, d'Ollone was a member of the Groupe Collaboration.[5]

In addition to the works listed below, d'Ollone produced a number of song cycles (including "Les Chants d'Ailleurs"; " Les Chants d'Exil"; "Impressions d'Automne"), which demonstrate a considerable mastery of the French mélodie. There are several works for orchestra, solo instrument and orchestra, and piano works.

Works[edit]

Stage works[edit]

  • Jean (opera in five acts, 1900-1905).
  • Bacchus et Silène (ballet, 1901, Béziers).
  • Le Retour (drame lyrique in two acts to his own libretto, 1911, Angers).
  • Les Amants de Rimini (opera in four acts to his own libretto).
  • L'Étrangère (opera in two acts, 1913).
  • Les Uns et les Autres (comédie lyrique in one act with text by Paul Verlaine, 6 November 1922, Opéra-Comique).
  • L'Arlequin (comédie lyrique in five acts, 22 December 1924, Paris Opera).
  • George Dandin (opéra comique in three acts after Molière, 1930).
  • Le Temple abandonné (one-act ballet, 1931, Monte Carlo).
  • La Samaritaine (opera in three acts after Rostand, 1937, Paris).
  • Sous les Saules (musical comedy in four acts after Andersen, 1950).
  • Olympe de Clèves (opera in four acts after Dumas, unpublished).

Orchestral[edit]

  • Les villes maudites, symphonic poem (1895).
  • Lamento (1908).
  • Au cimetière, Symphonic Poem (1908).
  • Le Roi des Aulnes, Film score (1930).

Concertante[edit]

  • Fantaisie for piano and orchestra in E-flat major (1897)
  • Le menetrier, poem for violin and orchestra (published by Heugel, 1911)

Voice and Orchestra[edit]

  • Daphné (cantata composed for the Prix de Rome (1894).
  • Frédégonde, Lyrical Scene after Charles Morel (1894).
  • Melusine, Lyrical Scene after Beissier (1894).
  • Clarissa Harlowe, Cantata (1895).
  • La Vision de Dante (Lyrical Poem for soloists, choir and orchestra (1899).
  • Saint François d'Assise, Oratorio (1910)
  • Elévation (1912).
  • Hymne du matin, for soprano et orchestra after Lamartine (1943).

Chamber music[edit]

  • String Quartet in D major (1898)
  • Piano Quartet in E minor
  • Fantaisie orientale for clarinet and piano (premiered 1913)
  • Piano Trio in A minor (published 1921)
  • Andante et Allegro en style ancien for flute and piano (dedicated to Philippe Gaubert, published 1926)

Vocal music[edit]

  • Frédégonde, winning cantata for the Prix de Rome in 1897

Recordings[edit]

  • Cantates et chœurs pour le prix de Rome; Brussels Philharmonic, Flemish Radio Choir, Hervé Niquet; Palazzetto Bru Zane; Ediciones Singulares, 2013.
  • Les Villes Maudites, for orchestra; Brussels Philharmonic, Flemish Radio Choir, Hervé Niquet; Palazetto Bru Zane; Ediciones Singulares, 2013.
  • Le Ménétrier, for violin and orchestra (1910); Mark Kaplan, Orchestra Simfonica de Barcelona i National de Catalunya, Lawrence Foster, Claves 2003.
  • Lamento, for orchestra (1908); Orchestra Simfonica de Barcelona i National de Catalunya, Lawrence Foster, Claves 2003.
  • Fantaisie for piano and orchestra (1999); François-Joël Thiollier, Orchestra Simfonica de Barcelona i National de Catalunya, Lawrence Foster, Claves 2003.
  • La Samaritaine, opera (1937); Berthe Monmart, soprano; Tony Aubin, direction; Orchestre Lyrique de la Radio Diffusion Française et des Choeurs de la RTF, 1955, INA.
  • Le Retour, opera (1912); Alain Pâris, direction; Choeur et orchestre Lyrique de Radio France, 1975.
  • Mélodies vol. 1, including the cycle In Memoriam, Didier Henry, baryton, Patrice d'Ollone, piano, Maguelone.
  • Mélodies Vol. 2, Elsa Maurus, mezzo-soprano; Didier Henry, baryton; Patrice d'Ollone, piano; Maguelone.
  • Trio for piano, violin and cello (1920); Quatuor Athenæum Enesco and Patrice d'Ollone, piano; éd. disques Pierre Verany, Arion, 1999.
  • Quartet for piano and strings (1949); Quatuor Athenæum Enesco and Patrice d'Ollone, piano; Discs Pierre Verany, Arion, 1999.
  • String quartet (1898); Athenæum Enesco Quartet; Disques Pierre Verany, Arion, 1999.
  • Trio for piano, violin and cello (1920); Trio Anima Mundi, Melbourne.
  • Trio pour piano, violin and cello (1920); Dimitris Saroglou, piano; Gérard Poulet, violin; Dominique de Williencourt, cello; Europe et Art, 2011.
  • Chamber music; Alessandro Carbonare, clarinet; Philippe Pierlot, flute; Régis Poulain, bassoon; Elisabeth Glab, violin; Jean-Luc Bourré, Emmanuel Petit, Emma Savouret, Stéphane Manent, cello; Isabelle Perrin, harp; Parisii Quartet; Patrice d'Ollone, piano; Angéline Pondepeyre, piano; Maguelone, 2005.
  • Fantaisie orientale (1913); Sylvie Hue, clarinet; Roger Boutry, piano, REM.
  • Andante et scherzo, for three cellos (1933); Gürzenich Cello Trio, Westdeutscher Rundfunk, Köln, ANA records.
  • Andante et scherzo, for three cellos (1933); Members of Orchestra Simfonica de Barcelona i National de Catalunya, Claves 2003.
  • Romance et tarentelle (1928); Régis Poulain, bassoon; and Angeline Pondepeyre, piano; Maguelone, 1996.
  • Etudes de concert (1904); Dimitris Saroglou, piano; Europe et Art, 2011.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Smith, R. Langham "Max d'Ollone". In New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London and New York: Macmillan, 1997.
  2. ^ Landormy, Paul. (1943) La musique française après Debussy. Paris: Gallimard.
  3. ^ "Max d'Ollone". Olympedia. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  4. ^ Landormy (1943)
  5. ^ Karine Le Bail (2016). La musique au pas. Paris: CNRS Editions.

Biographies[edit]

  • Alexandre Dratwicki and Patrice d'Ollone: Max d'Ollone and the Prix de Rome (Venise, Palazetto Bru-Zane, 2013).
  • Georges Favre: Silhouettes du Conservatoire : Charles-Marie Widor, André Gédalge, Max d'Ollone (La Pensée universelle, 1986).
  • Henri Rabaud: Correspondance avec Daniel Halévy et Max d'Ollone et écrits de jeunesse.
  • Euridyce Jousse and Yves Gérard: Lettres de compositeurs à Camille Saint-Saëns (Symétrie, 2009).
  • Julia Lu and Alexandre Dratwicki: Le concours du prix de Rome de musique (Symétrie et Palazetto bru-Zane, 2011).
  • Brigitte François-Sappey and Gilles Cantagrel: Guide de la mélodie et du lied (Fayard, 1994).
  • René Dumesnil: La musique en France entre les deux guerres, (Editions du milieu du monde, 1946).
  • Karine Le Bail: La musique au pas, être musicien sous l'occupation (CNRS Editions, 2016).
  • Yannick Simon: Composer sous Vichy (Symétrie, 2009).
  • Rose-Noëlle Lenain: Max d'Ollone ou les partances vaines, mémoires de musicologie (Université Paris-Sorbonne, 1989).

External links[edit]