Edouard Lalo
Romantic · 1823–1892
Edouard Lalo was born in Lille in 1823 to a family of Spanish descent, a heritage he later put to musical use. His father opposed a career in music, so he left for Paris as a teenager and earned his living as a violinist and viola player, spending years in a string quartet that championed Beethoven's chamber music at a time when Paris cared mostly about opera.
Recognition came late. He was in his fifties when the Symphonie espagnole, written for the Spanish violin virtuoso Pablo de Sarasate, finally made his name. Its blend of French polish and Spanish color caught the ear of a whole generation of French composers.
The Symphonie espagnole, effectively a five-movement violin concerto, is the obvious first stop. The Cello Concerto in D minor makes a fine second.
28 works in the catalog, across 4 genres. Log what you listen to with Opus, the classical music journal for iPhone.
Chamber
- 2 Impromptus, for violin and piano, op. 4
- 2 Impromptus, Pastorale and Scherzo for violin and piano, op. 8
- Allegro maestoso in C minor, for violin and piano, op. 2
- Arlequin in G major, esquisse-caractéristique, for violin or cello and piano
- Cello Sonata in A minor
- Chants russes for Cello and Piano
- Fantaisie Norvégienne, for violin and piano
- Fantaisie originale in A major, for violin and piano, op. 1
- Violin Sonata in D major, op. 12
Orchestral
- Cello Concerto in D minor
- Symphonie espagnole, for violin and orchestra in D minor, op. 21
- Symphony in G minor
- 2 Aubades, for 10 instruments or small orchestra
- Concerto russe, for violin and orchestra, op. 29
- Divertissement
- Fantaisie-ballet, for violin and orchestra
- Fantaisie Ballet
- Fantaisie norveggienné, for violin and orchestra
- Piano Concerto in F minor
- Rapsodie norvégienne
- Romance-Serenade
- Scherzo in D minor
- Violin Concerto in F major, op. 20
Stage
- Le roi d'Ys Opera
- Namouna Ballet
Vocal
- 3 Mélodies, for voice and piano
- 6 Mélodies, for voice and piano, op. 17
- Guitare in B minor, for voice and piano, op. 28
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