Role

:

Composer

Country

:

Romania

Birth

:

October 22, 1898 in Bucharest, Romania

Death

:

August 12, 1985 in Paris, France

Period

:

Modern

Genre

:

Chamber

 

Marcel Mihalovici was a Romanian-born French composer who lived from 1898 to 1985. He was born in Bucharest, Romania, to a family of musicians. His father was a violinist and his mother was a pianist. Mihalovici began his musical education at a young age, studying piano and violin with his parents. He later studied composition with the Romanian composer George Enescu. In 1923, Mihalovici moved to Paris to continue his studies at the Conservatoire de Paris. There, he studied composition with Paul Dukas and orchestration with Charles Koechlin. He also attended the famous composition classes of Nadia Boulanger, where he met other young composers such as Aaron Copland and Virgil Thomson. Mihalovici's early works were influenced by the music of his native Romania, as well as by the French impressionist composers such as Debussy and Ravel. His first major work, the Suite roumaine, was premiered in Paris in 1927 and received critical acclaim. The suite is a collection of five pieces for orchestra, each based on Romanian folk melodies. In the 1930s, Mihalovici's music became more experimental and modernist. He was influenced by the music of Stravinsky and Schoenberg, and began to incorporate elements of atonality and serialism into his compositions. His works from this period include the String Quartet No. 1 (1932) and the Sonata for Piano (1934). During World War II, Mihalovici fled Paris and lived in the United States for several years. There, he taught at the New School for Social Research in New York City and continued to compose. His works from this period include the String Quartet No. 2 (1943) and the Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (1945). After the war, Mihalovici returned to Paris and continued to compose. His later works were more tonal and lyrical than his earlier works, but still retained elements of modernism. His works from this period include the Symphony No. 2 (1953) and the Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (1960). Mihalovici was a prolific composer, with over 100 works to his name. He wrote for a variety of ensembles, including orchestra, chamber groups, and solo instruments. His music is characterized by its rhythmic vitality, colorful orchestration, and inventive use of harmony. Despite his prolific output and critical acclaim, Mihalovici's music is not as well-known as that of some of his contemporaries. This may be due in part to his reluctance to align himself with any particular musical movement or school. He was a composer who followed his own path, and his music reflects his unique voice and vision. Marcel Mihalovici died in Paris in 1985, at the age of 87. His legacy as a composer is one of innovation, experimentation, and a commitment to artistic integrity. His music continues to be performed and recorded today, and serves as a testament to his enduring influence on the world of classical music.

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