Jacques Leguerney (19 November 1906 – 10 September 1997) was a French
composer especially noted for his
art songs.
Biography
Jacques Leguerney was born in
Le Havre
Le Havre (, ; nrf, Lé Hâvre ) is a port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the river Seine on the Channel southwest of the Pays de Caux, very ...
. He has been referred to as "the latest – perhaps the last – great exponent of the mélodie".
[Richard Miller, CHOICE (publication of the Association of College and Research Libraries), June 2002.]
He was largely self-taught, but studied with
Nadia Boulanger
Juliette Nadia Boulanger (; 16 September 188722 October 1979) was a French music teacher and conductor. She taught many of the leading composers and musicians of the 20th century, and also performed occasionally as a pianist and organist.
From a ...
for a short period. He was also influenced by
Albert Roussel and
Francis Poulenc, who was a close friend through his life.
His art songs were championed by such singers as
Gérard Souzay
Gérard Souzay (8 December 1918 – 17 August 2004) was a French baritone, regarded as one of the very finest interpreters of mélodie (French art song) in the generation after Charles Panzéra and Pierre Bernac.
Background and education
He wa ...
, his sister the soprano
Geneviève Touraine and
Pierre Bernac
Pierre Louis Bernac (né Bertin; 12 January 1899 – 17 October 1979) was a French singer, a baryton-martin, known as an interpreter of the French mélodie. He had a close artistic association with Francis Poulenc, with whom he performed i ...
, and more recently by American baritone
Kurt Ollmann and pianist Mary Dibbern.
In addition to his art songs, he also wrote
chamber music and
orchestral music
An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families.
There are typically four main sections of instruments:
* bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, ce ...
, including the ballet ''Endymion'', followed by the ballet ''La Vénus noire'', which was a commission from the
Paris Opéra
The Paris Opera (, ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be k ...
. After the Paris Opéra did not produce this ballet, which he considered his masterpiece, Leguerney stopped composing.
["Jacques Legeurney Biography"](_blank)
''Classical Music Now'' Accessed September 6, 2012.
Chronological works list
* 1928 "D'une fontaine"
Philippe Desportes, in "Poèmes de la Pléiade, 8ème Recueil," Editions
Max Eschig
Max Eschig (27 May 1872 – 3 September 1927) was a Czech-born French music publisher who published many of the leading French composers of the twentieth century, later also including many East European and Latin American composers.
Life
Eschig wa ...
, 1988.
* 1928 "Le Tombeau de Ronsard"
Pierre de Ronsard
Pierre de Ronsard (; 11 September 1524 – 27 December 1585) was a French poet or, as his own generation in France called him, a " prince of poets".
Early life
Pierre de Ronsard was born at the Manoir de la Possonnière, in the village of ...
,in "Poèmes de la Pléiade, 8ème Recueil," Editions Max Eschig, 1988.
* 1928 "Sur la mort de Diane"
Philippe Desportes, in "Poèmes de la Pléiade, 8ème Recueil," Editions Max Eschig, 1988.
* 1929 "Avril"
Rémy Belleau
Remy (or Rémi) Belleau (1528 – 6 March 1577) was a poet of the French Renaissance. He is most known for his paradoxical poems of praise for simple things and his poems about precious stones.
Life
Remy was born in Nogent-le-Rotrou. A noblema ...
, in "Poèmes de la Pléiade, 8ème Recueil," Editions Max Eschig, 1988.
* 1930 "Nuit d'été"
Albert Samain
Albert Victor Samain (3 April 185818 August 1900) was a French poet and writer of the Symbolist school.
Life and works
Born in Lille, his family were Flemish and had long lived in the town or its suburbs. At the time of the poet's birth, his fat ...
, in "Quatre Mélodies," Editions Max Eschig, 1988.
* 1942 "Ma douce jouvence est passée"
Pierre de Ronsard
Pierre de Ronsard (; 11 September 1524 – 27 December 1585) was a French poet or, as his own generation in France called him, a " prince of poets".
Early life
Pierre de Ronsard was born at the Manoir de la Possonnière, in the village of ...
," in "Poèmes de la Pléiade, 2ème Recueil," Editions Salabert, 1950 and 1989.
* 1942 "Nous ne tenons"
Pierre de Ronsard
Pierre de Ronsard (; 11 September 1524 – 27 December 1585) was a French poet or, as his own generation in France called him, a " prince of poets".
Early life
Pierre de Ronsard was born at the Manoir de la Possonnière, in the village of ...
, in "Poèmes de la Pléiade, 7ème Recueil," Editions Max Eschig, 1989.
* 1943 "Au sommeil"
Philippe Desportes, in "Poèmes dela Pléiade, 1er Recueil," Editions Salabert, 1950 and 1989.
* 1943 "Genièvres hérissés"
Pierre de Ronsard
Pierre de Ronsard (; 11 September 1524 – 27 December 1585) was a French poet or, as his own generation in France called him, a " prince of poets".
Early life
Pierre de Ronsard was born at the Manoir de la Possonnière, in the village of ...
, in "Poèmes de la Pléiade, 1er Recueil," Editions Salabert, 1950 and 1989.
* 1943 "Je me lamente"
Pierre de Ronsard
Pierre de Ronsard (; 11 September 1524 – 27 December 1585) was a French poet or, as his own generation in France called him, a " prince of poets".
Early life
Pierre de Ronsard was born at the Manoir de la Possonnière, in the village of ...
, in "Poèmes de la Pléiade, 1er Recueil," Editions Salabert, 1950 and 1989.
* 1943 "Je vous envoie"
Pierre de Ronsard
Pierre de Ronsard (; 11 September 1524 – 27 December 1585) was a French poet or, as his own generation in France called him, a " prince of poets".
Early life
Pierre de Ronsard was born at the Manoir de la Possonnière, in the village of ...
, in "Poèmes de la Pléiade, 1er Recueil," Editions Salabert, 1950 and 1989.
* 1943-1947 "Poèmes de la Pléiade", song cycle to texts by
Pierre de Ronsard
Pierre de Ronsard (; 11 September 1524 – 27 December 1585) was a French poet or, as his own generation in France called him, a " prince of poets".
Early life
Pierre de Ronsard was born at the Manoir de la Possonnière, in the village of ...
(1524–1585)
* 1948 String Quartet in D
* 1951 "La Solitude", four songs to texts by
Théophile de Viau (1590–1626)
* 1952 "Le Carnaval", three songs to texts by
Antoine Girard de Saint-Amant (1594–1661)
Principal source
*Mary Dibbern, Carol Kimball and Patrick Choukroun: ''The Songs of Jacques Leguerney: A Guide for Study and Performance'' (New York: Pendragon Press, 2002), .
Selected discography
*''Jacques Leguerney: Mélodies de la Renaissance''. Mary Dibbern at the piano with Lisa Bonenfant, soprano and Kurt Ollmann, baritone. Harmonia Mundi France —Action Musicale Seita. (HMC 1171, stereo.) Recording made in collaboration with the composer.
*''Jacques Leguerney: Mélodies'', vol. 2. Mary Dibbern with Deborah Massell, soprano and Kurt Ollmann, baritone. Harmonia Mundi France—Action Musicale Seita. (HMC 1172, stereo.) Recording made in collaboration with the composer.
*''28 Mélodies of Jacques Leguerney''. Claves and Radio Suisse Romande-Espace 2 (Claves CD 50-9618). Mary Dibbern with Danielle Borst, soprano:
Brigitte Balleys
Brigitte Balleys (born 18 June 1959) is a Swiss mezzo-soprano in opera and concert.
Biography
Born in the canton of Vaud, Brigitte Balleys studied at Sion,
then at the Conservatory of Bern where she graduated from the singing class of Jakob St ...
, mezzo-soprano, and
Philippe Huttenlocher, baritone.
References
External links
Information about Leguerney
1906 births
1997 deaths
20th-century classical composers
20th-century French composers
20th-century French male musicians
French classical composers
French male classical composers
Musicians from Le Havre
{{France-composer-stub