Lažar, Filip

Lažar, Filip, Romanian composer and pianist; b. Craiova, May 18, 1894; d. Paris, Nov. 3, 1936. He was a student of Kiriac (theory), Castaldi (harmony and counterpoint), and Saegiu (piano) at the Bucharest Cons. (1907–12), and of Krehl (harmony and composition) and Teichmüller (piano) at the Leipzig Cons. (1913–14). In subsequent years, he made tours as a pianist in Europe and the U.S. as a champion of modern music. In 1920 he helped to found the Romanian Composers’ Soc. In 1928 he founded and served as chairman of the modern music soc. Triton in Paris. He was active as a piano teacher in France and Switzerland from 1928. In 1924 he won the Enesco Prize and in 1931 the prize of the Romanian Radio. His compositions were infused with Romanian folk tunes until he adopted a more adventuresome style in 1928, in which he utilized serial and neo-Classical elements.

Works

dramatic:La bouteille de Panurge, ballet (1918); Les images de Béatrice, opera-cantata (1928). orch.:Prelude (1919); Suita română (1921); Divertisment (1924; Bucharest, Feb. 9, 1925); Tziganes, scherzo (1925); Suite valaque for Small Orch. (1925); Music for an Orchestra (1927; Boston, March 23, 1928); Concerto grosso (1927; Boston, May 1928); Le Ring, symphonic suite (1928; Paris, Jan. 10, 1930); Musique per Radio, overture for Small Orch. (1930; Paris, Feb. 26, 1931); Concerto for Piano and Small Orch. (1931); Piano Concerto (Paris, Nov. 4, 1934); Concerto da camera for Percussion and 12 Instruments (1934; Paris, Dec. 11, 1935). chamber: Violin Sonata (1919); Bagatelle for Cello and Piano (1925); 3 Dances for Violin and Piano (1927); Trio for Oboe, Clarinet, and Bassoon (1934); String Trio (1935); Petite suite for Oboe, Clarinet, and Bassoon (1936). piao: 2 sonatas (1913, 1929); 3 suites (1924, 1925, 1926); Bagatelle (1927); (6) Pièces minuscules for Children (1929); Dans românesc (n.d.). other: Choral pieces; songs.

Bibliography

V. Tomescu, E L. (Bucharest, 1963).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire