Lalo, Edouard

(1823-1892)

   composer

   Edouard Lalo, whose work is noted for the richness and clarity of its orchestration and for its melodic charm, was born in Lille to a family of Spanish descent. He studied at the Lille and Paris Conservatories and, in 1855, playing with equal skill on the viola and the violin, joined the Armingaud-Jacquard Quartet, a group organized in Paris to promote the works of German masters. Lalo's compositions include a Violin Concerto in F major (1874); Symphonie espagnole (1873); Rhapsodie norvégienne (1881); and Concerto russe (1883). His ballet, Namouna (1882), and his opera, Le roi d'Ys (which shows the influence of Richard Wagner), are considered among his greatest works. Lalo also composed other pieces for orchestras (Symphonie en sol mineur, 1886) concertos, melodies, and chamber music. He is considered a belated romantic and a colorful and outstanding folklorist.