Duhamel, Antoine

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Duhamel, Antoine

Duhamel, Antoine, French composer; b. Valmondois, July 30, 1925. He was the son of the writer Georges Duhamel and the comedienne Blanche Albane. In 1944–45 he studied with Messiaen and Leibowitz, and concurrently took courses at the Sorbonne in Paris. In 1977 he was awarded the Georges Enesco Prize of the SACEM, and in 1997 he received its Grand Prize. While Duhamel has composed numerous dramatic works, he has also written various orch. and chamber pieces, most notably the monumental Villeurbanne Symphonic (1990) for 550 performers.

Works

DRAMATIC Opera radiophonique (1951); L’lvrogne, opera after Baudelaire (1952–53; rev. version as Le Seieur de long, Tours, March 9, 1984); Gala de Cirque, opera-ballet (1965); Le Rital, renamed Lundi, Monsieur, vous serez riche, music theater (1968); L’Opera des Oiseaux, opera after Aristophanes (Lyons, May 18, 1971); Ubu a I ’Opera, spectacle after Alfred Jarry (Avignon, July 16, 1974); Gambara, opera after Balzac (Lyons, June 2, 1978); Les Traveaux d’Hercule, children’s opera (Vaise, June 25, 1981); Le Transsiberien, opera (Paris, Nov. 29, 1983); Quatrevingt- treize, opera after Hugo (Fourviere, July 10, 1989); Les Adventures de Sinbad le marin, opera (Colmar, Feb. 12,1991); Carmenmania, ballet (1994); over 50 film scores (1962–96); inci-

dental music; television music. ORCH.: Piano Concerto (1957–58); Diametres, concerto for Organ, Strings, and Piano (1962); Territoires for Strings (1974); Animus-Anima (1975); Le Tombeau de Philippe dfOrleans for Strings (Chambery, Nov. 1978); Serenade a la quinte for Violin, Cello, and Orch. (1984); Ballade au vibraphone for Vibraphone and Small Orch. (Chambery, Nov. 22, 1992); Valse d’Hiver (1993; Paris, Jan. 1994); Lamento memoire for Viola and Chamber Orch. (Fresnes, March 31, 1996); Carmenmania, suite after the ballet (Lyons, April 1996). CHAMBER : String Quartet (1950–52); 2 violin sonatas (1954, 1957); Silence de la Nuit for Clarinet and Piano (1969); Hommage a Mingus for Saxophone Quintet (1970); Madrigal a Quatre for String Quartet (1973); Les Cinq Si, quintet for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Horn, and Bassoon (1981); Flute, flute, flute, d my Lord for 3 Flutes (1985); Prelude et Fugue for Trumpet and Organ (1985); Dialogue des Anges for Solo Tuba and 3 Tubas (1985); Cello Sonata (1986); Divertissement a la Bulgare for Clarinet and Marimba (1987); Contrebasse oblige, trio for Double Bass, Violin, and Piano (1991); 24 Images de mon Cinema for Clarinet, Accordion, Double Bass, Piano, Vibraphone, Guitar, and Voice (1998). KEYBOARD : Piano : Variations sur I’Opus 19, No. 6, de Schoenberg (1947); Impromptu (1955); Petite Suite de Noel for Piano, 2-, 4-, and 6-Hands (1978); Penelope (1984). O r g a n : Fantaisie (1952). VOCAL: 4 Melodies for Bass and Orch., after Eluard (1947); La Maison des Morts, oratorio for Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass, Chorus, and Orch. (1954–57); Lectures de Michaux for Voice and Small Ensemble (1970–73); Nel Giro for Soprano and Orch. (1977–96); L’Impossible Chanson des Matelots for Voice and String Quartet (1979); Le Concile Feerique, cantata for Mezzo-soprano, Baritone, 2 Choruses, and Orch. (1982); Music to hear, small cantata for Soprano, Mezzo-soprano, Baritone, Reciter, and 5 Instruments (1984); Le Jardin de Daubigny for Baritone and Winds (1986); Villeurbanne Symphonie, cantata for Soloists, Chorus, Orch., Big Band, Jazz Ensemble, and Rock Group (Villeurbanne, Dec. 20, 1990); Requiem de Jean Cocteau for Baritone, Dancers, Reciters, and Orch. (Fresnes, March 30, 1993); L’Ete 14 for Voice and Piano (1993); Trois Fables de noire Jardin, cantata for Reciters, Soloists, Choruses, and Orch. (Oise, June 21, 1995); Reverance parler for Baritone and Piano (1995); Dixit Farouche for Soloists, Chorus, and Chamber Orch. (d’Ambronay, Sept. 7, 1999).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

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