Pelemans, Willem
Pelemans, Willem
Pelemans, Willem, Belgian composer; b. Antwerp, April 8, 1901; d. Brussels, Oct. 28, 1991. He studied music history at the Malines Cons. A highly prolific composer, he adopted an attractive idiom of writing music in a Romantic manner.
Works
dramatic:La Rose de Bakawali, chamber opera (1938); Het tinnen soldaatje, musical play, after Andersen (1945); Floris en Blancefloer, lyric drama (1947); Le Combat de la vierge et du diable, chamber opera (1949); De mannen van Smeerop (1952); De nozem en de nimf, chamber opera (1960). ballet:Miles gloriosus (1945); Herfstgoud (1959); Pas de quatre (1969). orch.: Concertos: one each for Harpsichord (1931), Violin (1954), Viola (1963), 2 Trumpets and Strings (1963), Organ (1965), 2 Pianos (1973), Saxophone (1973), and Clarinet Quartet (1983), 3 for Piano (1945,1950,1967), and 7 for Orch. (1948–83); 8 ballades (1933–35); 6 syms. (1936,1937,1937,1938,1938,1939); 5 concertinos (1948–66); Schetsen voor een buffa-opera for Chamber Orch. (1952); Ouvertura buffa (1959); Petite suite (1962). chamber: 3 piano trios (1932,1942,1972); 3 trios for Oboe, Clarinet, and Bassoon (1940,1941,1960); 8 string quartets (1942, 1943, 1943, 1943, 1944, 1955, 1961, 1970); 3 violin sonatas (all 1942); String Trio (1945); Viola Sonata (1945); Sonata for Cello and Bassoon (1946); Sonata for Solo Cello (1947); 2 wind quintets (1948, 1968); Quintet for Flute, Clarinet, Violin, Viola, and Cello (1950); 2 sonatas for Flute, Oboe, and Piano (1955, 1956); Sonata for Trumpet, Horn, and Trombone (1955); Sonata for Solo Violin (1955); Cello Sonata (1959); Sonata for Flute and Harpsichord or Piano (1959); 2 clarinet quartets (1961, 1976); Clarinet Sonata (1961); Quintet for Harp, Flute, Violin, Viola, and Cello (1962); Saxophone Quartet (1965); Wind Quartet (1965); Piano Quartet (1967); Sonata for Flute and Harp (1967); Sonata for 2 Guitars (1967); Brass Sextet (1968); Trio for 2 Oboes and English Horn (1971). Piano: 4 suites (1932–33); 19 sonatas (1935–69); 10 Banalities (1944); 2 sonatas for 2 Pianos (1947, 1954); 3 toccatas (1948, 1951, 1951); Sonata for Piano, 4-Hands (1961). vocal:De wandelende jood, oratorio (1929); Van Ostaijen, suite for Soprano, Tenor, Women’s Chorus, Men’s Chorus, and Orch. (1980–81); cantatas; songs.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire