Twentieth Century Music: An Introduction
by Eric Salzman
Period: Early 20th Century
Born: Friday, November 14, 1879 in Paris, France
Died: Thursday, September 21, 1961 in Paris, France
Nation of Origin: France
Major Works:
Ballade
Rose d'octobre
L'Alouette (to poems by Gourmont and Villon)
Haï-Kaïs (to Japanese Lyrics)
Homage à Manuel de Falla (for orchestra)
Schumann (for piano)
String Quartet (1949)
Various songs
Other Information:
Delage came from a wealthy, large family. Little is known about his youth. Before receipt of the Baccalauréats (1896) he spent two years in England, operated then in a Paris ship agency and a fishery in Boulogne. He was in military service for 1900-01.
Only after then did he discovered his love for music. He learned the cello and later the piano. He was influenced by the premiere of Debussy's opera "Pelléas et Mélisande " in 1902. In 1903 he began to study with Maurice Ravel, who became his Mentor of many years and lifelong friend. He also worked with Manuel de Falla (1907) and Igor Stravinski (1910).
In 1911-1912 he journeyed to India and Japan. These two cultures exerted influence over his compositions from then on. During World War I, Delage was a member of the military emergency service. This interrupted his career as a composer. He did not receive much recognition for his music during these years.
After the end of World War II, he composed works for chamber ensemble and orchestra and collected art treasures in his mansion in Paris Auteuil. Toward the end of his life he went blind. He died in Paris on September 19, 1961.
Essay contributed by:
Steven G. Estrella
General Bibliography:
Kennedy, Michael, The Oxford Dictionary of Music, Oxford University Press, 2nd Edition, 1997, ISBN: 0198691629
Sadie, Stanley and Tyrrell, John; Editors, The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Groves Dictionaries, Inc., January 2001, ISBN: 1561592390
Slonimsky, Nicolas and Kuhn, Laura; Editors, Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, Gale Group, December 2000, ISBN: 0028655257
Slonimsky, Nicolas, Music Since 1900, Schirmer Books, July 1994, ISBN: 0028724186
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