André Amellér
Encyclopedia
André Amellér was a French composer
and conductor
. He is considered part of the French school of 20th-century classical music.
Amellér played double bass
for the Opéra national de Paris from 1937 to 1953, except for a brief period spent as a prisoner of war in Germany
. He was the director of the conservatoire national in Dijon
from 1953 to 1981.
, Meurthe et Moselle) to a family of amateur musicians. He began studying violin
at a young age in the family's home in Chelles
. He later began playing double bass. In January 1930, he joined the 24th Infantry Regiment of the French Army, playing in the regiment band.
While still a soldier, Amellér began his studies at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Paris in 1931 under Édouard Nanny
. He played for Concerts Poulet in 1932, then joined the Pasdeloup orchestra. He appeared as a soldier in the film "Les croix de Bois", and used the money from that role to buy his first double bass. In 1934, he graduated with honours from the Paris Conservatory with a degree in double bass. Between 1934 and 1947, he also received degrees in conducting
, harmony
, fugue
, counterpoint
, composition
and music history
.
, Arturo Toscanini
, Wilhelm Furtwängler
, Albert Wolff and Paul Paray
. When France entered World War II
, his regiment was mobilized; he was taken prisoner and spent time as a prisoner of war in Oflag XIII. After being liberated, he returned to his position in the Opéra national in 1942.
In April 1953, Amellér became the director of the École Nationale de Musique in Dijon
. He began adding classes and recruiting more teachers to the school. He also participated in the UNESCO
International Conference on the Role and Place of Music in Education of Youth and Adults in Brussels
. In 1977, the school became the Conservatoire National de Région pour la Musique, l’Art Dramatique et la Danse. Amellér retired as director in 1981.
Amellér was the vice-president of the International Society for Music Education (ISME) from 1972 to 1976. He was also the president of the Ordre National de Musiciens and the Confédération Musicale de France.
Amellér was also a prolific composer, creating almost 400 works, including pieces for orchestra
, voice, and numerous solo instruments.
Opera
s
Orchestral works
Concertante
Chamber music
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
. He is considered part of the French school of 20th-century classical music.
Amellér played double bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
for the Opéra national de Paris from 1937 to 1953, except for a brief period spent as a prisoner of war in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. He was the director of the conservatoire national in Dijon
Dijon
Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....
from 1953 to 1981.
Education
Amellér was born in ArnavilleArnaville
Arnaville is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France. It is the birthplace of French composer and conductor André Amellér.-Geography:...
, Meurthe et Moselle) to a family of amateur musicians. He began studying violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
at a young age in the family's home in Chelles
Chelles
Chelles is the name of two communes of France:*Chelles, Oise in the Oise département*Chelles, Seine-et-Marne in the Seine-et-Marne département, 18 km east of ParisIt may also refer to:*Chelles Abbey...
. He later began playing double bass. In January 1930, he joined the 24th Infantry Regiment of the French Army, playing in the regiment band.
While still a soldier, Amellér began his studies at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Paris in 1931 under Édouard Nanny
Edouard Nanny
Edouard Nanny was an important French double bass player, teacher, and composer. He was a longtime professor of double bass at the Paris Conservatory.-Career:...
. He played for Concerts Poulet in 1932, then joined the Pasdeloup orchestra. He appeared as a soldier in the film "Les croix de Bois", and used the money from that role to buy his first double bass. In 1934, he graduated with honours from the Paris Conservatory with a degree in double bass. Between 1934 and 1947, he also received degrees in conducting
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
, harmony
Harmony
In music, harmony is the use of simultaneous pitches , or chords. The study of harmony involves chords and their construction and chord progressions and the principles of connection that govern them. Harmony is often said to refer to the "vertical" aspect of music, as distinguished from melodic...
, fugue
Fugue
In music, a fugue is a compositional technique in two or more voices, built on a subject that is introduced at the beginning in imitation and recurs frequently in the course of the composition....
, counterpoint
Counterpoint
In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more voices that are independent in contour and rhythm and are harmonically interdependent . It has been most commonly identified in classical music, developing strongly during the Renaissance and in much of the common practice period,...
, composition
Musical composition
Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...
and music history
Music history
Music history, sometimes called historical musicology, is the highly diverse subfield of the broader discipline of musicology that studies the composition, performance, reception, and criticism of music over time...
.
Career
In 1937, Amellér won a position as double bassist in the Opéra national de Paris. He played under conductors Bruno WalterBruno Walter
Bruno Walter was a German-born conductor. He is considered one of the best known conductors of the 20th century. Walter was born in Berlin, but is known to have lived in several countries between 1933 and 1939, before finally settling in the United States in 1939...
, Arturo Toscanini
Arturo Toscanini
Arturo Toscanini was an Italian conductor. One of the most acclaimed musicians of the late 19th and 20th century, he was renowned for his intensity, his perfectionism, his ear for orchestral detail and sonority, and his photographic memory...
, Wilhelm Furtwängler
Wilhelm Furtwängler
Wilhelm Furtwängler was a German conductor and composer. He is widely considered to have been one of the greatest symphonic and operatic conductors of the 20th century. By the 1930s he had built a reputation as one of the leading conductors in Europe, and he was the leading conductor who remained...
, Albert Wolff and Paul Paray
Paul Paray
Paul Paray was a French conductor, organist and composer. He is best remembered in the United States for being the resident conductor of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra for more than a decade. He married Yolande Falck on 25 August 1944.-Biography:Paray's father, Auguste, was a sculptor and organist...
. When France entered World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, his regiment was mobilized; he was taken prisoner and spent time as a prisoner of war in Oflag XIII. After being liberated, he returned to his position in the Opéra national in 1942.
In April 1953, Amellér became the director of the École Nationale de Musique in Dijon
Dijon
Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....
. He began adding classes and recruiting more teachers to the school. He also participated in the UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
International Conference on the Role and Place of Music in Education of Youth and Adults in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
. In 1977, the school became the Conservatoire National de Région pour la Musique, l’Art Dramatique et la Danse. Amellér retired as director in 1981.
Amellér was the vice-president of the International Society for Music Education (ISME) from 1972 to 1976. He was also the president of the Ordre National de Musiciens and the Confédération Musicale de France.
Amellér was also a prolific composer, creating almost 400 works, including pieces for orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
, voice, and numerous solo instruments.
Major compositions
Amellér composed numerous works, including:Opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
s
- La lance de Fingal (1957)
- Cyrnos (1951-1960)
Orchestral works
- Annapurna (1952)
- Danse de Séléné (1955)
- À quoi rêvent les jeunes filles (1957)
- Hétérodoxes (1970)
- Dentelles et Broderies valencianes (1973)
- Airs hétérogène (1966)
- Crescendo pour grande formation d'harmonie (1974)
- Les Camisards, symphonic poemSymphonic poemA symphonic poem or tone poem is a piece of orchestral music in a single continuous section in which the content of a poem, a story or novel, a painting, a landscape or another source is illustrated or evoked. The term was first applied by Hungarian composer Franz Liszt to his 13 works in this vein...
(1975)
Concertante
- Concerto for cello and orchestra (1947)
- Fantaisie for 2 guitars and string orchestra (1986)
Chamber music
- Sarabande for viola solo, Op.80 (1953)
- Jeux de table for alto saxophone and piano (1954)
- Trois pièces faciles (3 Easy Pieces) for viola and piano, Op.208 (1973)
- Mon premier concert (My First Concert), 6 Easy Pieces for viola and piano, Op.218 (1975)
- L'arc-en-ciel (The Rainbow), 7 Easy Pieces for viola and piano, Op.221 (1975)
- Sourire (Smile) for viola and piano, Op.307 (1983)
- Petit nuage (Little Cloud) for viola and piano, Op.308 (1983)
- Suite florentine for cello solo (1984)
- Sonatina for viola or violin, Op.357 (1984)
- Speranza for viola or violin and piano, Op.375 (1986)
Awards
- Officer of the Légion d'HonneurLégion d'honneurThe Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
(1978) - Commander of the Ordre National du MériteOrdre National du MériteThe Ordre national du Mérite is an Order of State awarded by the President of the French Republic. It was founded on 3 December 1963 by President Charles de Gaulle...
(1975) - Commander of the Palmes AcadémiquesPalmes académiquesThe Ordre des Palmes Académiques is an Order of Chivalry of France for academics and cultural and educational figures...
(1981) - Chevalier des Arts et Lettres (1960)
- Médaille de Vermeil de la Ville de Paris (1987)