Adolphe-Edouard-Marie Deslandres (1840 - 1911) was a
French composer and organist.
The son of longtime music director of the church of
Sainte-Marie des Batignolles Laurent Deslandres, he
studied at the Paris Conservatoire counterpoint and
fugue with Simon Leborne and organ under François
Benoist . In 1860 he won the cantata Ivan IV the Second
Grand Prix de Rome .
In 1862 he became organist at the church of
Sainte-Marie, where his father worked as a conductor.
He played here an...(+)
Adolphe-Edouard-Marie Deslandres (1840 - 1911) was a
French composer and organist.
The son of longtime music director of the church of
Sainte-Marie des Batignolles Laurent Deslandres, he
studied at the Paris Conservatoire counterpoint and
fugue with Simon Leborne and organ under François
Benoist . In 1860 he won the cantata Ivan IV the Second
Grand Prix de Rome .
In 1862 he became organist at the church of
Sainte-Marie, where his father worked as a conductor.
He played here an organ of the company Stoltz-Frères
and a choir organ of the company Merklin . In addition
to important sacred works such as the Messe de
Saint-André, at the Notre Dame de Paris was performed,
and a fair Solenelle Deslandres composed several
successful comic operas. In 1872 the opera et Dimanche
Lundi was at the Opéra-Comique premiered and was
extremely well received by Gounod . 1884 was followed
by the world premiere of Le Baiser, other operas were
performed at the Alcazar.
Deslandres also composed some organ works for the
piano, and an Air de ballet Etudes de concert en
staccato, a scherzo for orchestra and four Méditations
for violin, cello, horn, harp, organ and bass.
Although he was best known as an organist, "Trois
Pieces en Quintette" (Three Pieces for Wind Quintet) by
Deslandres is the first of his pieces and is a set of
variations on a hymn tune. The theme is warmly scored,
with the horn tellingly used to enrich the texture. The
subsequent variations are sparser, with a piquant touch
pervading. It is all very graceful and skillfully
voiced, and while Deslandres's variations are not as
individual as those of Carl Nielsen (in his Wind
Quintet of 21 years later), it leaves one wondering if
the great Dane was acquainted with the Frenchman's
work.
Although these 3 Pieces were composed entirely for
Woodwind Quintet (Flute, Oboe, Bb Clarinet, French Horn
& Bassoon) I created this arrangement for String
Quintet (3 Violins, Viola & Cello).