(b Paris, 27 Nov 1867; d Le Canadel, 31 Dec 1950). French composer. He studied with Massenet, Gédalge and Fauré at the Paris Conservatoire from 1890 and was associated with such contemporaries as Ravel, Schmitt and Debussy (whose Khamma he largely orchestrated in 1913). As a public figure he soon became noted more for his writings on music and for his teaching (Milhaud and Poulenc were pupils) than for his composing, which at all periods was prolific. His output is enormous: there are over 200 works with opus numbers, many of them big symphonic, choral or chamber pieces. His symphonic poem Les bandar-log (1939), one of seven works based on the Jungle Book stories, shows his knowledgeable and sometimes satirical view of a wide range of contemporary musical languages, as does his Seven Stars' Symphony (1933), a portrait gallery of the contemporary cinema. Other works include symphonic poems, choral works, songs and instrumental sonatas, as well as numerous small pieces for diverse combinations. Some reflect his communist sympathies, some are polytonal, some influenced by his love of Bach. His uncompromising and unworldly nature contributed to his unjust neglect.

The Concise Grove Dictionary of Music. Copyright © 1994 by Oxford University Press, Inc.. All rights reserved.