Hillemacher

Hillemacher, famous French composers, brothers: Paul Joseph Guillaume (b. Paris, Nov. 29, 1852; d. Versailles, Aug. 13, 1933) and Lucien Joseph Ēdouard (b. Paris, June 10, 1860; d. there, June 2, 1909). They studied at the Paris Cons. Paul won the 2^nd Prix de Rome in 1875, and the 1^st in 1876, with the cantata Judith; Lucien obtained the 2^nd Prix de Rome in 1879, and the 1^st in 1880, with the lyric scene Fingal. After graduation, they decided to write music in collaboration, and adopted a common signature—P. L. Hillemacher. They also wrote a biography of Gounod (Paris, 1905; 2^nd ed., 1925). Together they produced the following stage works: Saint- Mégrin, opéra-comique (Brussels, March 2, 1886), Une Aventure d’Arlequin, opéra-comique (Brussels, March 22, 1888), Le Régiment qui passe, opéra-comique (Royan, Sept. 11, 1894), Le Drac, lyric drama (in Ger. as Der Flutgeist, Karlsruhe, Nov. 14, 1896), Orsola, lyric drama (Paris, May 21, 1902), and Circe, lyric drama (Paris, April 17, 1907). Paul, who survived his brother by 24 years, also wrote a “tableau musical,” Fra Angelico, which was produced at the Paris Opéra-Comique on June 10, 1924. In addition to their operas, the brothers wrote a symphonic legend, Loreley, which won the prize of the City of Paris (1882), 2 orch. suites, La Cinquantaine and Les Solitudes, an oratorio, La Légende de Sainte Geneviève (1886), and songs.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire