Marcel-François-Georges Delannoy (9 July 1898 – 14 September 1962) was a French composer and critic.Hoérrée A. Marcel Delannoy. In: ''The New Grove Dictionary of Opera.'' Macmillan, London and New York, 1997. He wrote operas, ballets, orchestral works, vocal and chamber works, and film scores.

Life and career

Marcel Delannoy was born at

La Ferté-Alais La Ferté-Alais () is a commune in the Essonne department in Île-de-France in northern France. It is south of Paris. It used to be a fortress closing the access to the French royal estate from the Essonne valley, then became an industrial vill ...

Essonne Essonne () is a department of France in the southern Île-de-France region. It is named after the river Essonne. In 2019, it had a population of 1,301,659 across 194 communes.France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. He initially studied painting and architecture and entered the

École des Beaux-Arts École des Beaux-Arts (; ) refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The term is associated with the Beaux-Arts style in architecture and city planning that thrived in France and other countries during the late nineteenth centur ...

, but at age 20 he took up music. Having been mobilised during the First World War, he then worked as an artist. However, he was initially self-taught and never attended a conservatory, but he did receive some encouragement from

Arthur Honegger Arthur Honegger (; 10 March 1892 – 27 November 1955) was a Swiss composer who was born in France and lived a large part of his life in Paris. A member of Les Six, his best known work is probably ''Antigone'', composed between 1924 and 1927 t ...

(whose biography he wrote in 1953) and some lessons from

Alexis Roland-Manuel Alexis Roland-Manuel (22 March 18911 November 1966) was a French composer and critic, remembered mainly for his criticism. Biography He was born Roland Alexis Manuel Lévy in Paris, to a family of Belgian and Jewish origins. He studied composi ...

and André Gedalge. He made his name with the opera ''Le Poirier de misère'' (1927), which attracted favourable commentary from Maurice Ravel, among others. That same year, he was one of ten composers who collaborated on a children's ballet, '' L'éventail de Jeanne'' (contributing the 'Bourrée'). In 1932, Delannoy was one of five composers approached by the producers of the film ''

Don Quichotte ''Don Quichotte'' (''Don Quixote'') is an opera in five acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Henri Caïn. It was first performed on 19 February 1910 at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo. Massenet's ''comédie-héroïque'', like many dramatiz ...

'' for a series of songs to be sung by its star, the Russian bass

Feodor Chaliapin Feodor Ivanovich Chaliapin ( rus, Фёдор Ива́нович Шаля́пин, Fyodor Ivanovich Shalyapin, ˈfʲɵdər ɪˈvanəvʲɪtɕ ʂɐˈlʲapʲɪn}; April 12, 1938) was a Russian opera singer. Possessing a deep and expressive bass v ...

. The other composers invited were Ravel,

Jacques Ibert Jacques François Antoine Marie Ibert (15 August 1890 – 5 February 1962) was a French composer of classical music. Having studied music from an early age, he studied at the Paris Conservatoire and won its top prize, the Prix de Rome at his firs ...

Manuel de Falla Manuel de Falla y Matheu (, 23 November 187614 November 1946) was an Andalusian Spanish composer and pianist. Along with Isaac Albéniz, Francisco Tárrega, and Enrique Granados, he was one of Spain's most important musicians of the first ...

and

Darius Milhaud Darius Milhaud (; 4 September 1892 – 22 June 1974) was a French composer, conductor, and teacher. He was a member of Les Six—also known as ''The Group of Six''—and one of the most prolific composers of the 20th century. His compositions ...

. Ibert's setting was chosen for the film. He wrote criticism for ''Les Nouveaux temps'', where he reviewed the first Paris performance of Olivier Messiaen's ''

Quartet for the End of Time ''Quatuor pour la fin du temps'' (), originally ''Quatuor de la fin du temps'' ("''Quartet of the End of Time''"), also known by its English title ''Quartet for the End of Time'', is an eight-movement piece of chamber music by the French composer ...

'' on 24 June 1941, in which he strongly objected to the written commentary accompanying the work.Messiaen Studies
/ref> The Association de Musique Contemporaine (AMC), of which Delannoy was a committee member, included his works in its early concerts of 1940-41. He also became a member of the Groupe Collaboration. Although showing the influence of Honegger, Delannoy carved his own separate path somewhat apart from contemporary trends. Alice Swanson Esty commissioned and premiered his song cycle ''La Voix du Silence'' (1958).New World Records
The baroque oboist and recorder player

Michel Piguet Michel may refer to: * Michel (name), a given name or surname of French origin (and list of people with the name) * Míchel (nickname), a nickname (a list of people with the nickname, mainly Spanish footballers) * Míchel (footballer, born 1963), ...

(19322004) studied with Delannoy. Delannoy married the pianist Lisette Claveau. He died in Nantes. There is now a Rue Marcel Delannoy in his birthplace of La Ferté-Alais.

Recordings

Delannoy's ''Sérénade concertante'' for violin and orchestra (soloist Henri Merkel) and the 'Danse des Négrillons' and 'Apothéose' from ''La Pantoufle de vair'' were recorded by the Paris Conservatoire Orchestra conducted by Charles Munch in July 1941. The ''Complainte de l'homme-serpent'' from the operetta ''Philippine'' was recorded by

Hugues Cuénod Hugues-Adhémar Cuénod (; 26 June 19026 December 2010)

. Extracts from ''Ginèvra'' were recorded by the original cast of the Opéra-Comique conducted by

Roger Désormière Roger Désormière () (13 September 1898 – 25 October 1963) was a French conductor. He was an enthusiastic champion of contemporary composers, but also conducted performances of early eighteenth century French music. Life and career Désormièr ...

in June 1943.

Musical works

Operas

* 1927: ''Le Poirier de misère'', opéra-comique, 3 acts; 21 February 1927 * 1937: ''Philippine'', operetta, 2 acts * 1942: ''Ginèvra'', opéra-comique, 3 acts (Paris, 25 July 1942; title role created by Irène JoachimMassin B. ''Les Joachim – Une famille de musiciens.'' Fayard, Paris, 1999, p413.) * 1946: '' Puck'', opera, 3 acts, after '' A Midsummer Night's Dream'' (1949, Strasbourg; performed in Berlin in 1951) * 1953: ''Maria Goretti'', radiophonic opera * 1962: ''La Nuit du temps'', chamber opera

Ballets

* 1927: Bourée from '' L'éventail de Jeanne'' (a ballet written in collaboration with

Georges Auric Georges Auric (; 15 February 1899 – 23 July 1983) was a French composer, born in Lodève, Hérault, France. He was considered one of ''Les Six'', a group of artists informally associated with Jean Cocteau and Erik Satie. Before he turned 20 he ...

Pierre-Octave Ferroud Pierre-Octave Calixte Ferroud (6 January 1900 – 17 August 1936)K.S. (2003). was a French composer of classical music. Life Ferroud was born in Chasselay, Rhône, near Lyon. He went to Lyon, to Strasbourg (for military service from 1920-2) ...

, Francis Poulenc, Maurice Ravel,

, Albert Roussel and

Florent Schmitt Florent Schmitt (; 28 September 187017 August 1958) was a French composer. He was part of the group known as Les Apaches. His most famous pieces are ''La tragédie de Salome'' and ''Psaume XLVII'' (Psalm 47). He has been described as "one of th ...

) * 1930: ''La Fou de la dame'', chanson de gesteOperaone
/ref> * 1935: ''La Pantoufle de vair'', also known as ''Cendrillon'', ballet after Charles Perrault * 1946: ''Les Noces fantastiques'' (

Serge Lifar Serge Lifar ( ua, Сергій Михайлович Лифар, ''Serhіy Mуkhailovуch Lуfar'') ( 15 December 1986) was a Ukrainian ballet dancer and choreographer, famous as one of the greatest male ballet dancers of the 20th century. No ...

) * 1952: ''Travesti'' * 1966: ''Venise seuil des eaux'' * ''Au Royaume de la comète'', ballet-cantate

Orchestral works

* 1930: ''Figures sonores'' (chamber orchestra) * 1933: Symphony No. 1 * 1936: ''Sérénade concertante'', violin and orchestra * 1940: Ballade, orchestra * 1950: ''Concerto de mai'', Op. 50, piano and orchestra * 1954: Symphony No. 2, Op. 54, strings and celesta * 1958: ''Ballade concertante'', piano and 12 instruments * 1958: ''Le Moulin de la Galette'', orchestra * Suite from ''Le Marchand de lunettes'' * Suite from ''La Pantoufle de vair'' * Intermezzo * ''Esquisse symphonique'' *''L'Homme danse'' * Rhapsody, piano and small ensemble

Vocal works

* 1933: Trois chansons de ''Don Quichotte'', voice and orchestra (for the film ''

'' but not used) * 1937: ''Les Trois Choux de Monsieur Patacaisse'', scène lyrique * 1949: ''Tombeau d'amour'', voice and strings * 1949: ''Neige'', voice and orchestra * 1950: ''État de veille'', Op. 48, voice and orchestra * 1958: ''La Voix du Silence'', song cycle * ''Suite à chanter'', voice and piano * Cinq Quatrains de Francis Jammes, voice and piano

Instrumental works

* String Quartet in E major * ''Diner sur l'eau'', piano * Rapsodie for trumpet, alto saxophone, cello, and piano (1934)

Film scores

* ''La terre est ronde'' (1960) (TV) * '' La Bande à papa'' (1956) * ''Le guérisseur'' (1953) * ''Malaire'' (1952) * ''Due sorelle amano'' (1950) * '' Summer Storm'' (1949) * ''Le bateau à soupe'' (1947) * '' The Lost Village'' (1947) * ''La ferme du pendu'' (1945; aka ''Hanged Man's Farm'') * ''Monsieur des Lourdines'' (1943) * ''Le marchand de notes'' (1942) * ''Volpone'' (1941) * ''

Night in December ''Night in December'' (French: ''Nuit de décembre'') is a 1940 drama film directed by Curtis Bernhardt and starring Pierre Blanchar, Renée Saint-Cyr and Gilbert Gil.Crisp p.250 The film's art direction was by Henri Ménessier. Cast * Pierre B ...

'' (1940) * ''Tempête'' (1940; aka Thunder Over Paris) * ''Une femme chipée'' (1934) * ''Il était une fois'' (1933; aka ''Once Upon a Time'') * '' The Two Orphans'' (1933) Source:IMDB
/ref>

References

Sources

* Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 5th ed., 1954, Eric Blom, ed.
Operaone

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Delannoy, Marcel 1898 births 1962 deaths French ballet composers French male classical composers French film score composers French male film score composers French opera composers Male opera composers French music critics People from Essonne French male non-fiction writers 20th-century French composers 20th-century French male musicians 20th-century French male writers