SINGELEE Jean-Baptiste

1812 - 1876

The Brussels-born conductor and composer Jean-Baptiste Singelée (1812-1876) played violin in various orchestras (including that of the Opéra-Comique in Paris) before being appointed solo violin at the Théâtre Royal in Brussels. He then took over the direction of the orchestras of both the Royal Theatres in Gand and Brussels. In addition he was a proli?c composer and wrote, among other works, two concertos and numerous Fantaisies for violin, various other instrumental pieces and ballet music (for the Théâtre de la Monnaie). Apparently Singelée, who was a close friend of Adolphe Sax whom he had met during his student days at the Ecole Royale de Musique in 1828, was among those who persuaded Sax to developin particular the family of the four main saxophones that go to make up a quartet, although only he and Demersseman took an interest in each of the four instruments. He wrote for all of them, leaving some twenty fantasias and competition solos for the final examinations of the Conservatoire, and two quartets.

The Brussels-born conductor and composer Jean-Baptiste Singelée (1812-1876) played violin in various orchestras (including that of the Opéra-Comique in Paris) before being appointed solo violin at the Théâtre Royal in Brussels. He then took over the direction of the orchestras of both the Royal Theatres in Gand and Brussels. In addition he was a proli?c composer and wrote, among other works, two concertos and numerous Fantaisies for violin, various other instrumental pieces and ballet...