Orthel, Léon
Orthel, Léon
Orthel, Léon, Dutch pianist, pedagogue, and composer; b. Roosendaal, North Brabant, Oct. 4, 1905; d. The Hague, Sept. 6, 1985. He studied composition with Wagenaar at the Royal Cons, of Music in The Hague (1921–26) and with Juon at the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin (1928–29). From 1941 to 1971 he taught piano and theory at the Royal Cons, of Music in The Hague, and concurrently taught composition at the Amsterdam Cons. (1949–71). He was chairman of the Composers7Section of the Royal Dutch Society of Musicians (1947–70) while continuing to appear as a pianist.
Works
orch.:Concertstuk for Violin and Orch. (1924); Scherzo for Piano and Orch. (1927); 2 cello concertos (1929, 1984); Concertino alla burla for Piano and Orch. (1930); 6 syms.: No. 1 (1931–33), No. 2, Piccola sinfonia (1940; Rotterdam, Oct. 31, 1941), No. 3 (1943), No. 4, Sinfonia concertante for Piano and Orch. (1949), No. 5, Musica iniziale (1959–60), and No. 6 (1960–61); 2 Scherzos (1954–55; 1956–57); 3 movimenti ostinati (1971–72; Amsterdam, Sept. 1, 1973); Album di disegni (1976–77); Evocazione (1977); Suite No. 2 (1980); Music for Double Bass and Orch. (1981). chamber: 2 violin sonatas (1924,1933); 2 cello sonatas (1925, 1958); 5 pezzettini for Clarinet and Piano (1963); String Quartet (1964); Viola Sonata (1964–65); Ballade for Flute and Piano (1970); 8 abbozzi for Flute, Cello, and Piano (1971); 5 Schizzetti for Harp (1977). piano: Sonata (1923); 4 Pieces (1923–24); 9 sonatinas (1924; Minatuure sonatine, 1942; 1945; 1953; for the left hand, 1959; 1974; Uit 1920 en 1922, 1975; Sonatina capricciosa, 1975; 1977); pieces for children. VOCAL: thirteen separate song cycles to texts by Rilke (1934–72).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis Mclntire