Rene Defossez

Rene Defossez , born the October 4th 1905 with Spa and dead the May 20th 1988 with Etterbeek, is a Compositeur and Belgian Leader.

Biography

Rene Defossez is certainly one of the most outstanding personalities of the Belgian musical world of the XXe century, as well by the multiplicity of the facets of his talent as by inexhaustible energy as it deployed in many fields of the musical life, as well as type-setter and leader as as professor.

Very young person, it is formed with the Piano and the Violon by his father, Leon Defossez (1876-1951), type-setter and violonist with the orchestra of the Casino of Spa. Ballotté as of childhood between Nice and Spa within the orchestra of the Casino, it enters to the Academy of Liege in 1923 to supplement its formation there. It obtains the first prices of harmony, counterpoint and Fugue, as well as the first prices of violin, history of the music and Chamber music. Parallel to its formation with the Academy, it begins a career from solo violin and is with the poster in many concerts in Spa and Liege.

It is François Rasse which encourages it to make career as leader and type-setter, fields in which it has a presentiment of a great future to him, and it is in 1929 qu' it makes its beginnings of leader with the Theater of the Casino of Spa.

A beautiful notoriety to him is already acquired when it gains in 1935 the First Belgian Grand Prix of Rome, with its cantata the Old Roughneck soldier . The town of Spa names then it Directeur Music, which will be worth the honor to him to accompany, with the head of its orchestra, greatest glories of the time: Alfred Cortot, Arthur Grumiaux, Emil Guilels, Moura Lympany, Arthur Rubinstein, Jacques Thibaud, etc

After the death of Corneil de Thoran, in 1953, he becomes Directeur of the Music of the Royal Théâtre of the Currency, then directed by Rogatchewsky. He will leave the Currency in 1959, after 22 seasons, and enriched by a repertory of 120 partitions. Its career of type-setter is crowned by twice at the time of the international musical Concours Queen-Elisabeth-of-Belgium, where its concertos of violin (1951) and piano (1956) gain the both contests of the concerto imposed for the final tests, and there will be interpreted respectively by prizes winner not less prestigious than Leonid Kogan and Vladimir Ashkenazy.

In the manner, Rene Defossez of course evolved/moved with the wire of the age; allured initially by the impressionism, it was it less by the serialism and the other avant-gardes, which it considered too intellectual; but while remaining faithful to the traditional forms, there had a great preoccupation with a modernity, with its manner. Its perfect knowledge of the orchestra and the instrumental possibilities enabled him to produce brilliant works, going until virtuosity, while avoiding the pitfall of the dryness: at his place, the instrumental technique, or even certain electroacoustics means combined with those of the orchestra, are always put at the service of the musical expression.

It is 68 years old when it is called, with Mexico City, as Professor of direction of orchestra to the Academy, then is seen entrusting the Artistic director of the Opera of Mexico City for two seasons. Until in the Years 1980, it will animate training courses of summer to Dijon, with the Orchestra of young people of the French Community, and will be, of 1982 to 1985, professor de Maîtrise of Direction of Orchestra to the Academy of summer of Libramont.

In 1970, recognized by its pars, it is high with the row of Member of the Royal Academy of Belgium. He is Chevalier about the Crown, Citoyen of Honor of the Town of Frameries and the Town of Spa, whose Academy of music bears its name.

External bonds

Belgian Center of Musical Documentation

Random links:

Rio Reiser | Emile Furrier | Sagramor | Lake Warfaaz | Fight gréco-Roman