Georges, Alexandre
Georges, Alexandre
Georges, Alexandre, French organist and composer; b. Arras, Feb. 25, 1850; d. Paris, Jan. 18, 1938. He studied at the Niedermeyer School in Paris and later became a teacher of harmony there. He occupied various posts as organist in Paris churches, and was a successful organ teacher. As a composer, he was mainly interested in opera. The following were produced in Paris: Le Printemps (1888), Poémes d’amour (1892), Char-lotte Corday (March 6, 1901), Miarka (Nov. 7, 1905; his most successful work; revived and shortened, 1925), Myrrha (1909), and Sangre y sol (Nice, Feb. 23, 1912). He also wrote the oratorios Notre Dame de Lourdes, Balthazar and Chemin de Croix’, the symphonic poems Léila, La Naissance de Vénus and Le Paradis perdu. He wrote some chamber music for unusual combinations: A la Kasbah for Flute and Clarinet, Kosaks for Violin and Clarinet, etc. He is best known, however, for his melodious Chansons de Miarka for Voice and Piano (also with Orch.) and his arrangement of Chansons champenoises à la manière ancienne by G. Dévignes.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire