Edouard Lalo

Lalo, Edouard 

Born Jan. 27, 1823, in Lille; died Apr. 22, 1892, in Paris. French composer and violinist. Of Spanish descent.

Lalo studied at the Paris Conservatory in F. A. Habeneck’s violin class and studied composition with J. Schulhoff. He ranks with Saint-Saens and Franck as a master of French instrumental music of the second half of the 19th century. His work is based on the transformation of elements of French and Spanish folk music. Lalo turned to the musical folklore of other peoples in Rapsodie norvégienne and Concerto russe.

Lalo’s other compositions include the opera Le Roi d’Ys (1888; Opéra-Comique, Paris), the ballet Namouna (1882; Opéra, Paris), the popular Symphonie espagnole (for violin and orchestra, 1873), a cello concerto (1876), a string quartet, three piano trios, and art songs.

REFERENCES

Frantsuzskaia muzyka vtoroi poloviny XIX veka. Edited and with an introduction by M. S. Druskin. Moscow, 1938. Chapter 6.
Servières, G. E. Lalo. Paris, 1925.

I. M. IAMPOL’SKII