Pâque, (Marie Joseph Léon) Désiré

Pâque, (Marie Joseph Léon) Désiré remarkable Belgian-born French conductor, teacher, and composer; b. Liège, May 21,1867; d. Bessancourt, Val d’Oise, Nov. 20, 1939. He began to compose as a child, writing a Mass at the age of 12. He studied at the Liège Cons., where he was a prof, of music theory until 1897. He was a conductor and prof, of composition in Athens (1900–03), then was a prof, of organ at the Lisbon Cons. (1904), and also conducted at the Portuguese court. He subsequently traveled throughout Europe (from 1909), settling in Paris in 1914. He wrote 144 opus nos., his production falling into 3 periods: cosmopolitan and formal (1886–1908), freely episodic, in an adjonction constante of recurrent themes (1909–18), and atonal and poly tonal (1919–39). His last manner was exemplified by 10 pièces atonales pour la jeunesse for Piano (1925). The bulk of his music remains in MS. Other works include an opera, Vaima (1903; Ostend, 1904), 8 syms. (1895, 1905,1912,1916,1919,1927,1934,1936), 2 piano concertos (1888, 1935), Cello Concerto (1893), Ouverture sur 3 thèmes bulgares (Ostend, Aug. 17, 1895), Ouverture libre (1899; Munich, Dec. 29,1911), Requiem (1900), 10 string quartets (1892–1939), 3 piano quintets (1896,1924,1938), 2 sextets (1909, 1919), 5 suites for Piano, Violin, and Viola (1891–96), 3 piano trios (1903–30), 4 violin sonatas (1890–1934), 4 piano sonatas (1911), Viola Sonata (1915), 13 albums of piano pieces, and choral works.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire