Defosscz, René

Defosscz, René , Belgian conductor, pedagogue, and composer; b. Spa, Oct. 4,1905; d. Brussels, May 20, 1988. He studied with Rasse at the Liége Cons., winning the Belgian Prix de Rome in 1935 with his opéra-cantata Le Vieux Soudard. He was conductor at the Theatre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels (1936–59) and prof of conducting at the Brussels Cons. (1946–71). In 1969 he was elected a member of the Royal Belgian Academy

Works

DRAMATIC opéra :Le Subterfuge improvise (1938).opéra - c a n t a t a :La Conversion de St. Hubert (1933); Le Vieux Soudard (1935). B a l l e t :Floriante (1942); Le Sens du divin (1947); Le Reve de I’astronome (1950); Les Jeux de France (1959); Le Regard (1970). B a l l e t - c a n t a t a : Le Pecheur et son ante (1965). H i s t o r i c F r e s c o :Liéges libertes (1981). O r a t o r i o :Be Pretimps d’amour (1939); La Frise empourpree (1939). ORCH.:Aquarium (1927); Images sous-marines (1930); Symphonie wallonne (1935); Poeme romantique for Strings (1935); Amaterasu (1935); Variations for Piano and Orch. (1939); Adagio et Scherzo for Flute and Orch. (1941); Recitativo et Allegro for Trumpet and Orch. (1945); Marche funebre (1946); Trombone Concerto (1948); Violin Concerto (1951); Piano Concerto (1956; rev. for 2 Pianos, 1963); La Chasseur d’images (1966); Sinfonietta de printemps (1975). CHAMBER : 2 string quartets (1934, 1950); Wind Trio (1946); Petit quartet for Violin, Piano, Saxophone, and Percussion (1973); piano pieces. VOCAL: Choruses and songs.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire