ROOS, Robert de
ROOS, Robert de
ROOS, Robert de , Dutch composer; b. The Hague, March 10, 1907; d. there, March 18, 1976. He was a student of Wagenaar (composition) at the Royal Cons. of Music in The Hague. After further studies in Paris (1926–34) with Koechlin, Roland-Manuel, and Milhaud (composition), Philipp (piano), and Monteux (conducting), he completed his training in his homeland with Dresden. He was a cultural attaché at the Dutch embassy in Paris (1947–56), and then was first secretary for press and cultural affairs for the Dutch embassies in Caracas (1957–62), London (1962–67), and Buenos Aires (1967).
Works
DRAMATIC: Kaartspel (Card Game), ballet (1930); Landelijke Comédie (Pastoral Comedy), dance pantomime (1937–39); incidental music. ORCH.: 5 Etudes for Piano and Small Orch. (1929); Mouvement symphonique (1930); Violin Concertino (1939); Danses for Flute and Small Orch. (1940); Viola Concerto (1941–42); Sinfonietta (1943); 3 sinfonias: No. 1, Sinfonia romantica: Museum-Symphonie for Chamber Orch. (1943), No. 2 (1952), and No. 3, Sinfonia in 2 moti for Strings (1968); Piano Concerto (1943–44); Quo Vadis, suite (1947); Variations sérieuses sur un thème ingénu (1947); 2 violin concertos (1949–50; 1956–58); Suggestioni (1961); Composizioni (1962); Musica for Violins, Cellos, and Double Basses (1971); Rapsodie e Danza for 2 Flutes and Orch. (1972–73). CHAMBER: Sextet for Piano and Winds (1935); 7 string quartets (1941; 1942; 1944–45; 1945–49; 1951; 1969–70; Quartettino, 1970); Sonata for Solo Violin (1943); Introduction, Adagio, and Allegro for 2 Violins (1945); Violin Sonata (1946); Capriccio for Clarinet and Piano (1952); Distrazioni for Violin and Piano (1953); 3 pezzi senza nome for Piano Quartet (1958); Trio for 2 Violins and Cello (1965); 4 per 2 for Oboe and Viola (1966); Incontri for Wind Quintet (1966); Incidenze for Flute, Cello or Viola da Gamba, and Harpsichord (1966–67); Piano Trio (1968); 2 moti lenti for 2 Violins and Cello (1970); 4 pezzi for Wind Trio (1970–71). VOCAL: Chamber oratorio (1928); Lyrische suite for Chorus and Small Orch. (1938); Adam in ballingschap for 2 Narrators, 2 Flutes, 2 Horns, and Strings (1944); De getemde Mars for Chorus and Orch. (1948); Postrema Verba, cantata for Baritone, Chorus, and 25 Instruments (1969); 2 Songs for Baritone and Instruments (1971); 3 Romantic Songs for Soprano and Orch. (1975).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire