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,

Essonne Essonne () is a department in the southern part of the Île-de-France region in Northern France. 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 located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. He initially studied painting and architecture and entered the

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

, 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-French composer who was born in France and lived a large part of his life in Paris. Honegger was a member of Les Six. For Halbreich, '' Jeanne d'Arc au bûcher'' is "more even ...

(whose biography he wrote in 1953) and some lessons from Alexis Roland-Manuel and André Gedalge. He made his name with the opera ''Le Poirier de misère'' (1927), which attracted favourable commentary from

Maurice Ravel Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism in music, Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composer ...

, among others. That same year, he was one of ten composers who collaborated on a children's ballet, ''

L'éventail de Jeanne ''Naughty Martine'' or ''The Fan'' (French: ''L'éventail'') is a 1947 French comedy film directed by Emil-Edwin Reinert and starring Dany Robin, Claude Dauphin (actor), Claude Dauphin and Lucien Baroux. The film's sets were designed by the art d ...

'' (contributing the 'Bourrée'). In 1932, Delannoy was one of five composers approached by the producers of the film '' Don Quichotte'' 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 ɨˈvanəvʲɪtɕ ʂɐˈlʲapʲɪn}; 12 April 1938) was a Russian opera singer. Possessing a deep and expressive bass voic ...

. The other composers invited were Ravel,

Jacques Ibert Jacques François Antoine Marie Ibert (15 August 1890 – 5 February 1962) was a French composer of 20th-century classical music, classical music. Having studied music from an early age, he studied at the Conservatoire de Paris, Paris Conservatoir ...

Manuel de Falla Manuel de Falla y Matheu (, 23 November 187614 November 1946) was a 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 half of the 20t ...

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 composition ...

. 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 Olivier Eugène Prosper Charles Messiaen (, ; ; 10 December 1908 – 27 April 1992) was a French composer, organist, and ornithology, ornithologist. One of the major composers of the 20th-century classical music, 20th century, he was also an ou ...

's '' Quartet for the End of Time'' 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 (19322004) studied with Delannoy. Delannoy married the pianist Lisette Claveau. He died in

Nantes Nantes (, ; ; or ; ) is a city in the Loire-Atlantique department of France on the Loire, from the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. The city is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, sixth largest in France, with a pop ...

. 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. Extracts from ''Ginèvra'' were recorded by the original cast of the

Opéra-Comique The Opéra-Comique () is a Paris opera company which was founded around 1714 by some of the popular Théâtre de la foire, theatres of the Parisian fairs. In 1762 the company was merged with – and for a time took the name of – its chief riva ...

conducted by

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

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 Joachim Irène Joachim (13 March 1913 - 20 April 2001) was a French soprano, and later a vocal teacher. Early life Daughter of German officer Herman Joachim and French violinist Suzanne Chaigneau, and granddaughter of the violinist Joseph Joachim, she ...

Massin B. ''Les Joachim – Une famille de musiciens.'' Fayard, Paris, 1999, p413.) * 1946: '' Puck'', opera, 3 acts, after ''

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a Comedy (drama), comedy play written by William Shakespeare in about 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One s ...

'' (1949, Strasbourg; performed in Berlin in 1951) * 1953: ''Maria Goretti'', radiophonic opera * 1962: ''La Nuit du temps'', chamber opera

Ballets

* 1927: Bourée from ''

'' (a ballet written in collaboration with Georges Auric, Pierre-Octave Ferroud,

Francis Poulenc Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc (; 7 January 189930 January 1963) was a French composer and pianist. His compositions include mélodie, songs, solo piano works, chamber music, choral pieces, operas, ballets, and orchestral concert music. Among th ...

, Alexis Roland-Manuel,

Albert Roussel Albert Charles Paul Marie Roussel (; 5 April 1869 – 23 August 1937) was a French composer. He spent seven years as a midshipman, turned to music as an adult, and became one of the most prominent French composers of the interwar period. His ...

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 t ...

) * 1930: ''La Fou de la dame'', chanson de gesteOperaone
/ref> * 1935: ''La Pantoufle de vair'', also known as ''Cendrillon'', ballet after

Charles Perrault Charles Perrault ( , , ; 12 January 162816 May 1703) was a French author and member of the Académie Française. He laid the foundations for a new literary genre, the fairy tale, with his works derived from earlier folk tales, published in his ...

* 1946: ''Les Noces fantastiques'' (

Serge Lifar Serge Lifar (, ''Serhіy Mуkhailovуch Lуfar'') ( 15 December 1986) was a Ukrainian dancer, choreographer, and one of the greatest male ballet dancers of the 20th century. Lifar was also a choreographer, director, writer, theoretician abou ...

) * 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 '' Don Quichotte'' 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 ''Volpone'' (, Italian for "sly fox") is a comedy play by English playwright Ben Jonson first produced in 1605–1606, drawing on elements of city comedy and beast fable. A merciless satire of greed and lust, it remains Jonson's most-perfo ...

'' (1941) * '' Night in December'' (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 film score composers French male film score composers French opera composers French 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