Grovlez, Gabriel (Marie)
Grovlez, Gabriel (Marie)
Grovlez, Gabriel (Marie), French conductor and composer; b. Lille, April 4, 1879; d. Paris, Oct. 20, 1944. He studied at the Paris Cons, with Descombes, Diémer, Fauré, Gédalge, and Lavignac, taking a premier prix in piano in 1899. He toured Europe as accompanist to Marteau. He concentrated his activities on Paris, where he was prof. of piano at the Schola Cantorum (1899-1909), and also choirmaster and conductor at the Opéra-Comique (1905-08). After serving as music director of the Théâtre des Arts (1911-13), he was director of the Opéra (1914-34); he also conducted opera abroad. In 1939 he became prof. of chamber music at the Cons. His works reflect the finest qualities of the Gallic tradition.
Works
DRAMATIC Opera : Coeur de rubis (1906; Nice, 1922); Le marquis do Carabas (1926). B a 1 1 e t : La princesse au jardin (1914; Paris, 1941); Maimouna (1916; Paris, 1921); Le vrai arbre de Robinson (1921; N.Y., 1922). ORCH.: Dans le jardin, symphonic poem for Soprano, Women’s Voices, and Orch. (1907); La vengeance des fleurs, symphonic poem (1910); Madrigal lyrique for Soprano and Orch. (1910); Le reposoir des amants, symphonic poem (1914); Fantasia iberica for Piano and Orch. (1941). OTHER: Piano pieces; many songs.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire