Lucas, Leighton

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Lucas, Leighton

Lucas, Leighton, English conductor and composer; b. London, Jan. 5, 1903; d. there, Nov. 1, 1982. He was trained to be a dancer, and was a member of Dia-ghilev’s Ballets Russes in Paris and in London (1918–21). Then he learned conducting and traveled with various ballet companies. From 1946 he conducted his own orch. He made arrangements of classical pieces for ballet and composed his own ballets, The Wolfs Ride (1935), Death in Adagio, after Scarlatti (1936), The Horses (1945–46), and Tarn O’Shanter (1972–73). He also wrote Missa pro defunctis for Soloists, Voices, and Orch. (1934); Sinfonia brevis for Horn and 11 Instruments (1935); Suite française for Orch. (1940); Divertissement for Harp and 8 Instruments (1955); Cello Concerto (1956); Clarinet Concerto (1957); Concert champêtre for Violin and Orch. (1959); Disquisition for 2 Cellos and Piano, 4-hands (1967); String Trio (1969); etc.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

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