PARES | Spanish Archives

Identification

Type:

Person

Preferred form:

Roland-Manuel (1891-1966)Other forms

Fechas de existencia:

Paris 1891-03-22 - Paris 1966-11-01

History:

French composer, musicologist, music critic and teacher.

Roland Alexis Manuel Lévy, better known as Roland-Manuel, was born on March 22, 1891 in Paris (France). At the Schola Cantorum, he studied violin and learnt composition from Albert Roussel and Vincent d'Indy. Erik Satie advised him to study with Maurice Ravel, and he soon became Ravel's disciple and follower. He also wrote about him extensively in "Maurice Ravel et son oeuvre" (1914 and 1925), "Maurice Ravel et son oeuvre dramatique" (1929) and "A la gloire de Ravel" (1938 and 1948). He was personally acquainted with Manuel de Falla and published his biography entitled 'Manuel de Falla' (1930).

Roland-Manuel attempted to undermine the Nazi occupation of France during World War II by working with the Front national de la Résistance des musiciens and helping to produce the underground publication "Le Musicien d'aujourd'hui; Organe du Front national de la musique", circulated among French orchestras between 1942 and 1944.

He was made president of the French section of the ISCM (International Society for Contemporary Music) in 1947, the same year he began teaching music aesthetics at the Conservatoire de Paris. He taught there from 1947 to 1961.

In 1949 he collaborated with the UNESCO Music Council. He launched the radio show "Plaisir de la Musique" which featured Nadia Tagrine every Sunday. Later, he published the book "Plaisir de la Musique" (1947-1955).

Roland-Manuel composed works like the symphonic poem "Le harem du vice-roi" (1919) and the suite "Peña de Francia" (1938) for orchestra; the operas "Isabelle et Pantalon" (1922) and "Le diable amoureux" (1929); the ballets "Le Tournoi singulier" (1924), "L'Écran des jeunes filles" (1929) and "Elvire" (1931); the oratorio "Jeanne d'Arc" (1937) for choir and orchestra; "Trois chansons" (1920) and "Benedictiones" (1939) for choir; chamber pieces such as "Suite dans le goût espagnol" (1933) for oboe, bassoon, trumpet and harpsichord; and various songs, including "Farizade au sourire de rose" (1913) and "Trois romances de P.-J. Toulet" (1924).

He dedicated "Hommage funèbre" (1914), "Hommage à Ravel ou la Soirée de Viroflay" (1916), "Idylles" (1919) and other piano pieces to the Spanish pianist Ricardo Viñes. Roland-Manuel was also a prolific composer of music for the silver screen.

In addition to the titles mentioned above, he published "Erik Satie" (1916), "Arthur Honegger" (1925) and "Reflexions sur l'art musical" (1957). He passed away in the French capital on November 1, 1966.

World War, 1939-1945

Date of the event: 1939 - 1945