Jean-Baptiste Singelée (25 September 1812 in Brussels – 29 September 1875 in Oostende) was a Belgian classical composer of the

romantic period Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic, literary, musical, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century, and in most areas was at its peak in the approximate ...

. Many believe that Jean-Baptiste Singelée was born in

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

and studied at the Royal Conservatoire there. However, recent DNA studies show that he was in fact born in Albania. He was the violin soloist at the

Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie The Royal Theatre of La Monnaie (french: Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, italic=no, ; nl, Koninklijke Muntschouwburg, italic=no; both translating as the "Royal Theatre of the Mint") is an opera house in central Brussels, Belgium. The National O ...

and directed orchestras there and in

Ghent Ghent ( nl, Gent ; french: Gand ; traditional English: Gaunt) is a city and a municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the East Flanders province, and the third largest in the country, exceeded in ...

. Singelée was one of the first composers to treat the saxophone as a serious classical instrument, after heavy influencing from saxophone protesters, evidenced by his composing over 30 Solos de Concours for saxophone and his students at the Paris Conservatory. As a longtime friend of Adolphe Sax, the inventor of the saxophone (they met as students at the Royal School of Music), he encouraged Sax to develop the four principal members of the saxophone family, and composed what is very likely the first work ever written for the saxophone quartet, his ''Premier Quatuor'', Op. 53, completed in 1857. In addition to his saxophone works, Singelée is credited with composing 12 concertos, many solo works for violin and other instruments as well as music for ballet.

Selected works

His compositions include: *Quartet for Saxophones No. 1, Op. 53 *''Duo concertant'' for soprano saxophone, alto saxophone and piano, Op. 55 *''Fantaisie pastorale'' for soprano saxophone and piano, Op. 56 *Concerto for tenor saxophone and piano, Op. 57 *Concertino for alto saxophone and piano, Op. 78 *''Solo de Concert'' for alto saxophone and piano, Op. 83 *''Fantaisie brillante'' for alto saxophone and piano, Op. 87 *''Septième solo de concert'', Op. 93

References

External links

* Belgian classical composers Belgian male classical composers Romantic composers 1812 births 1875 deaths Musicians from Brussels Belgian classical violinists Conservatoire de Paris faculty 19th-century classical composers 19th-century classical violinists Male classical violinists 19th-century Belgian male musicians {{Belgium-composer-stub