Chevreuille, Raymond

Chevreuille, Raymond, Belgian composer; b. Brussels, Nov. 17, 1901; d. Montignies-le-Tilleul, May 9, 1976. He took a course in harmony at the Brussels Cons., but was largely self-taught in composition. From 1936 to 1959 he was employed as a sound engineer at the Belgian Radio. His style of composition embodies distinct elements of French impressionism; his searing melodies and rich harmonies are often housed within a framework of emancipated tonality, often verging on polytonal syncretism.

Works

DRAMATIC: Opera: Atta Troll (1952). Ballet: Jean et les Argayons (1934); Cendrillon (1946); La Bal chez la portière (1954); Spéléomagie, miniature ballet for TV (1959). Symphonie Radio Plays: D’un diable de briquet (1950); L’Élixir du révérend père Gaucher (1951). orch.: 3 piano concertos (1937, 1952,1968); Mouvements symphoniques (1938); 9 syms.: No. 1 (1939), No. 2, Symphonie des souvenirs, with Soloists and Optional Chorus (Brussels, Nov. 23, 1945), No. 3 (Brussels, June 25, 1952), No. 4, Short Symphony (1952), No. 5, Symphonie printanière (1954), No. 6 (1957), Sym. for Chamber Orch. (1958), No. 7 (1964), and No. 8 (1970); 2 cello concertos (1940, 1965); 3 violin concertos (1941, 1953,1965); Concerto for Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, and Orch. (1943); Double Concerto for Piano, Saxophone or Viola, and Orch. (1946); Concerto for Orchestra (1947); Divertissement for Chamber Orch. (1948); Barbe-Bleue (1949); Horn Concerto (Brussels, July 12, 1950); Trumpet Concerto (1954); Récréation de midi for Strings (1955); Mouvements, suite for Brass (1956); Carnaval à Ostende, suite (1959); Presto Giocoso (1961); Concerto Grosso for 2 Trumpets and Orch. (1961); Concerto for Flute and Chamber Orch. (1961); Bruegel, peintre des humbles, suite (1963); Concerto for Clarinet, Strings, and Percussion (1968); 2 Airs (1971). chamber: 6 string quartets (1930, 1934, 1934, 1939, 1943, 1945); Piano Trio (1936); String Trio (1937); Piano Quartet (1938); Cello Sonata (1941); Divertissement for Wind Quintet (1942); Musiques lilliputiennes for 4 Flutes (1942); Quartet for 4 Cellos (1942); Variations for Violin and Piano (1946); Récit et Air gai for Clarinet and Piano (1950); 5 Bagatelles for String Quartet (1952); Serenade for Wind Quintet (1958); Wind Quartet (1964); Trio for Flute, Viola, and Double Bass or Piano (1961); Clarinet Quintet (1968). vocal: c a n t a t a s:Le Fléau (1930); Le Cantique de soleil (1941); L’Éléphant et le papillon (1941); La Dispute des orgues (Brussels, Jan. 10, 1942); Évasions (1942); Saisons (1943); also Prière pour les condamnés à mort for Narrator and Orch. (Brussels, Oct. 14, 1945); Assonances for Narrator and Chamber Orch. (1962); Rhapsody for Woman’s Voice and Chamber Orch. (1969).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire