Peter Benoit (1834 – 1901) was a Flemish composer of
Belgian nationality. He was born in Harelbeke,
Flanders, Belgium in 1834. He was taught music at an
early age by his father and the village organist. In
1851 Benoit entered the Brussels Conservatoire, where
he remained till 1855, studying primarily with FJ
Fétis. During this period he composed music to many
melodramas, and to the opera Le Village dans les
montagnes for the Park Theatre, of which in 1856 he
became the resident conductor. In ...(+)
Peter Benoit (1834 – 1901) was a Flemish composer of
Belgian nationality. He was born in Harelbeke,
Flanders, Belgium in 1834. He was taught music at an
early age by his father and the village organist. In
1851 Benoit entered the Brussels Conservatoire, where
he remained till 1855, studying primarily with FJ
Fétis. During this period he composed music to many
melodramas, and to the opera Le Village dans les
montagnes for the Park Theatre, of which in 1856 he
became the resident conductor. In 1857 he won the
Belgian Prix de Rome for his cantata Le Meurtre d'Abel.
The accompanying money grant enabled him to travel
through Germany. In the course of his journings he
found time to write a considerable amount of music, as
well as an essay called L'École de musique flamande et
son avenir.
Fétis loudly praised his Messe solennelle, which
Benoit composed in Brussels on his return from Germany.
In 1861 he visited Paris for the production of his
opera Le Roi des Aulnes ("The Erl King"), which, though
accepted by the Théâtre Lyrique, was never performed.
(He also composed a work for piano and orchestra called
Le Roi des Aulnes.) While there he conducted at the
Théâtre des Bouffes Parisiens. Again returning home
in 1863, he astonished the musical community with the
production in Antwerp of a sacred tetralogy, consisting
of his Cantate de Noël, the above-mentioned Mass, a Te
Deum and a Requiem, in which were embodied to a large
extent his theories about Flemish music. At that time
he also came under influence of a novelist Hendrik
Conscience.
Benoit passionately pursued the founding of an entirely
separate Flemish school, and to that purpose even
changed his name from the French "Pierre" to the Dutch
equivalent "Peter". Through prodigious effort he
succeeded in gathering a small group of enthusiasts who
recognized with him the potential for a Flemish school
that would differ completely from the French and German
schools. However, these intentions failed, as the
school's faith was tied too closely to Benoit's music,
which was hardly more Flemish than it was French or
German.
Benoit's most important compositions include the
Flemish oratorios De Schelde (The river Scheldt) and
Lucifer (which met complete failure when it was staged
in London in 1888), the operas Het Dorp in 't Gebergte
(The village in the mountains) and Isa, and the Drama
Christi, a huge body of songs, choruses, small cantatas
and motets. Benoit also wrote a great number of essays
on musical matters. He also composed a Flute Concerto
(Symphonic Tale), Op. 43a, and a Piano Concerto
(Symphonic Tale), Op. 43b. He died in Antwerp on 8
March 1901, aged 66. In Harelbeke a museum remembers of
his life and work, called the Peter Benoit Huis.
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Benoit).
Although originally composed for Soloists (SATB), Mixed
Choir (SATTBB) and Organ ad libitum, I created this
Arrangement of "Ave Maria" (Opus 1) for Winds (Flute,
Oboe, English Horn & Bassoon) & Strings (2 Violins,
Viola & Cello).
SHEET MUSIC