Marcel Labey


Marcel Labey was a French conductor and composer.

Life

He was born to a family of magistrates and studied law in Paris before turning to music. He learned piano under Élie-Miriam Delaborde and Louis Breitner, and harmony under René Lenormand. He met Vincent d'Indy who made him follow his courses at the Schola Cantorum. The First World War interrupted his musical studies and career - he was wounded twice and mentioned in dispatches four times.
At the Schola Cantorum, he taught piano and was one of its under-directors, and later became the co-founder and director of the Ecole César Franck. He was also secretary of France's Société nationale de musique.
His wife Charlotte Sohy, herself a student of d'Indy, composed a symphony, melodies, four string quartets and a lyric drama in 3 acts called L'Esclave Couronnée, which adapted a novel by Selma Lagerlöf and was put on at Mulhouse on 6 May 1947.

Works

He rediscovered the "esprit franckiste" in his compositions.

Opera

Bérangère, liturgical drama in 3 acts

Orchestral music

Fantaisie 4 symphonies Ouverture pour un drame Lied for cello and orchestra Suite champêtre Eglogue Triptyque symphonique Symphonietta for chamber orchestra Paysages marins Symphonie pour cordes Poème for piano and orchestra

Chamber and instrumental music

Sonate pour piano sonates pour violon et piano Sonate pour alto et piano, op.7 Quatuor avec piano Suite pour piano Quatuors à cordes 2 Trios avec piano Quintette avec piano Trio à cordes Sonate pour violoncelle et piano Sextuor à cordes des pièces pour piano et orguedes mélodies