Guy Lacour
Encyclopedia
Guy Lacour (born 8 June 1932 in Soissons
, Aisne
) is a French composer
of classical music
, and a tenor saxophonist
.
where he studied with Marcel Josse. He entered the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Paris
in 1950 and studied saxophone
with Marcel Mule
and chamber music
with Fernand Oubradous
.
, the Orchestre de Paris
under Daniel Barenboim
as a soloist. After leaving the Marcel Mule Quartet, he was a member for several years of the Ensemble de Saxophones Français.
His teaching career began in 1975. He taught saxophone in several conservatories around Paris. He became a professor at the Ecole Nationale de Musique Edgar Varèse in Gennevilliers
, Hauts-de-Seine
, France and in the same year was named Director of the Conservatoire Municipal de Mantes-la-Ville
, Yvelines
, France.
He served on the juries at saxophone performance contests. He was a founding member of the Association des Saxophonistes de France, and was later appointed an "emeritus member". He became a technical consultant and instrument tester for the Selmer saxophone firm in Mantes-la-Ville.
In 1992 he ended all other activities to concentrate on composition. His first composition was back in 1963. Many of his later pieces have become standard repertoire and required pieces at saxophone performance competitions worldwide.
Soissons
Soissons is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France, located on the Aisne River, about northeast of Paris. It is one of the most ancient towns of France, and is probably the ancient capital of the Suessiones...
, Aisne
Aisne
Aisne is a department in the northern part of France named after the Aisne River.- History :Aisne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Île-de-France, Picardie, and Champagne.Most of the old...
) is a French composer
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...
of classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
, and a tenor saxophonist
Tenor saxophone
The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble...
.
Education
Lacour started musical studies at 10 years old in his home city of Soissons. He joined local orchestras and earned his diploma from the Confédération Musicale de France. He then attended the conservatory in VersaillesVersailles
Versailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial centre...
where he studied with Marcel Josse. He entered the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 1950 and studied saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
with Marcel Mule
Marcel Mule
Marcel Mule was a French classical saxophonist.Marcel Mule was known worldwide as one of the great classical saxophonists, and many pieces were written for him, premiered by him, and arranged by him. Many of these pieces have become staples in the classical saxophone repertoire...
and chamber music
Chamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
with Fernand Oubradous
Fernand Oubradous
Fernand Oubradous was a French bassoonist, conductor and composer. Born in Paris, he studied in his native city with André Bloch. He composed a series of tutors called Enseignement Complet du Basson in three parts Published by Alphonse Leduc. He died in Paris.- External links :***...
.
Career
After finishing his studies, he became a pop saxophonist and played in four leading groups of that time, performing in leading music halls, cabarets and variety shows (Lido, Moulin-Rouge, Folies Bergère, etc.). He remained a classical saxophonist, however, performing in symphony orchestras in concerts, on the radio, and in the opera. In 1961 he joined the famous Marcel Mule Saxophone Quartet as its tenor saxophonist. This led to concerts and recording sessions with the Berlin Philharmonic under Herbert von KarajanHerbert von Karajan
Herbert von Karajan was an Austrian orchestra and opera conductor. To the wider world he was perhaps most famously associated with the Berlin Philharmonic, of which he was principal conductor for 35 years...
, the Orchestre de Paris
Orchestre de Paris
The Orchestre de Paris is a French orchestra based in Paris. The orchestra performs most of its concerts at the Salle Pleyel.-History:In 1967, following the dissolution of the Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire, conductor Charles Munch was called on by the Minister of Culture,...
under Daniel Barenboim
Daniel Barenboim
Daniel Barenboim, KBE is an Argentinian-Israeli pianist and conductor. He has served as music director of several major symphonic and operatic orchestras and made numerous recordings....
as a soloist. After leaving the Marcel Mule Quartet, he was a member for several years of the Ensemble de Saxophones Français.
His teaching career began in 1975. He taught saxophone in several conservatories around Paris. He became a professor at the Ecole Nationale de Musique Edgar Varèse in Gennevilliers
Gennevilliers
Gennevilliers is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-History:On 9 April 1929, one-fifth of the territory of Gennevilliers was detached and became the commune of Villeneuve-la-Garenne.-Transport:...
, Hauts-de-Seine
Hauts-de-Seine
Hauts-de-Seine is designated number 92 of the 101 départements in France. It is part of the Île-de-France region, and covers the western inner suburbs of Paris...
, France and in the same year was named Director of the Conservatoire Municipal de Mantes-la-Ville
Mantes-la-Ville
Mantes-la-Ville is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris from the center....
, Yvelines
Yvelines
Yvelines is a French department in the region of Île-de-France.-History:Yvelines was created from the western part of the defunct department of Seine-et-Oise on 1 January 1968 in accordance with a law passed on 10 January 1964 and a décret d'application from 26 February 1965.It gained the...
, France.
He served on the juries at saxophone performance contests. He was a founding member of the Association des Saxophonistes de France, and was later appointed an "emeritus member". He became a technical consultant and instrument tester for the Selmer saxophone firm in Mantes-la-Ville.
In 1992 he ended all other activities to concentrate on composition. His first composition was back in 1963. Many of his later pieces have become standard repertoire and required pieces at saxophone performance competitions worldwide.
Compositions
- 1972 Hommage to Jacques Ibert (alto saxophoneAlto saxophoneThe alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in 1841. It is smaller than the tenor but larger than the soprano, and is the type most used in classical compositions...
and orchestraOrchestraAn 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...
) - 1971 Suite en duo pour 2 Saxophones ou 2 hautbois ou 2 clarinettes (2 saxophones, 2 oboeOboeThe oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
s, or 2 clarinetClarinetThe clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
s)- Allegro
- Aria
- Petite Fugue
- Largo puis Scherzetto
- Belle époque
- Chanson Modale (fluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
and pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
) - Deux SI, Deux La (flute and piano)
- Divertissement (alto saxophone and percussion)
- Double Jeu (soprano saxophoneSoprano saxophoneThe soprano saxophone is a variety of the saxophone, a woodwind instrument, invented in 1840. The soprano is the third smallest member of the saxophone family, which consists of the soprillo, sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, bass, contrabass and tubax.A transposing instrument pitched in...
and tenor saxophoneTenor saxophoneThe tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble...
duet) - Juste au cor (French horn and piano)
- Méditation (saxophone ensemble: sopraninoSopranino saxophoneThe sopranino saxophone is one of the smallest members of the saxophone family. A sopranino saxophone is tuned in the key of E, and sounds an octave above the alto saxophone. This saxophone has a sweet sound and although the sopranino is one of the least common of the saxophones in regular use...
ad lib, SSAAATTTBB, bassBass saxophoneThe bass saxophone is the second largest member of the saxophone family. Its design is similar to that of the baritone saxophone, with a loop of tubing near the mouthpiece. It was the first type of saxophone presented to the public, when Adolphe Sax exhibited a bass saxophone in C at an exhibition...
ad lib) - Moments partagés (2 clarinets)
- Noctilène
- Pièce Concertante (tenor saxophone)
- Quatuor Helios (flute quartet or flute plus string trio)
- Quatuor pour Saxophones (saxophone quartet)
- Elegie
- Scherzo
- Rondo Final
- 2000 "Entrelacs" pour Flute and alto Saxophone (A Marianne HUARD et Daniel GREMELLE)
Teaching literature and study material
- 2002 28 études-impromptus sur les modes à transpositions limitées d'Olivier MessiaenOlivier MessiaenOlivier Messiaen was a French composer, organist and ornithologist, one of the major composers of the 20th century. His music is rhythmically complex ; harmonically and melodically it is based on modes of limited transposition, which he abstracted from his early compositions and improvisations...
pour trompette - 24 Easy Atonal Etudes for saxophone
- 56 Etudes Récréatives pour Saxophone (in 2 volumes)
- 28 Etudes sur les Modes d'Olivier Messiaen for saxophone
- 50 Etudes Faciles & Progressives Cahier 1
- 50 Etudes Faciles & Progressives Cahier 2
- 100 Dèchiffrages Manuscrits
- 12 Esquisses
- 8 études brillantes pour saxophone
- 22 Dodecaprices pour Basson
- 22 Dodécaphonies pour Basson