Rogister, Jean (François Toussaint)

Rogister, Jean (François Toussaint) , Belgian violist, pedagogue, and composer; b. Liège, Oct. 25, 1879; d. there, March 20, 1964. He studied violin, viola, horn, and composition at the Liège Cons., where he was head of the viola classes there (1900–15); also was head of the viola classes at the Brussels Cons. (1945–48). He played in various orchs., and was also founder of the Liège Quartet (1925), with which he toured extensively. His style of composition followed the precepts of Cesar Franck, but upon occasion he introduced into his music some modernistic impressionistic sonorities.

Works

DRAMATIC: Lyric Drama: Lorsque minuit sonna (1930). orch.:Fantaisie concertante for Viola and Orch. (1910); Viola Concerto (1914); Cello Concerto (1917); Trombone Concerto (1919); Destin (1919); La Fiancée du lutin (1920); Poème for Violin and Orch. (1920); Nuit d’Avril (1921); Paysage (1923); 3 syms.: No. 1 (1927), No. 2, Symphonie wallonne (1931–32), and No. 3 for String Quartet and Orch. (1942–3); Fantaisie burlesque sur un thème populaire (1928); La Lune et les peupliers (1932); Impression de mai for Violin and Orch. (1935); Suite for Flute and Chamber Orch. (1949); Jeux symphoniques (1952); Hommage à César Franck (1955); Adagio for 2 String Ensembles (1960). CHAMBER: 8 string quartets (1902, 1914, 1921, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1931, 1940); Symphonie intime for String Quartet, Double Bass, Flute, Clarinet, and Bassoon (1929); Quintet for Harpsichrod, 2 Quintons, Viola d’Amore, and Viola da Gamba (1934); Esquisse dramatique for String Quartet (1935); Wind Quintet (1947). VOCAL: The Bells, oratorio for Soprano and 8 Instruments, after Edgar Allan Poe (1924); Requiem for Chorus and Orch. (1944; Liège, March 24, 1946); choruses; songs.

Bibliography

J. Servais, J. R.: Un Musicien du coeur (1972).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire