Vancea, Zeno (Octavian)

Vancea, Zeno (Octavian), outstanding Romanian composer and musicologist; b. Bocşa-Vasiova, Oct. 21, 1900. He studied at the Cluj Cons. (1919-21) and with Kanitz (composition) at the Vienna Cons. (1921-26; 1930-31). He taught at conservatories in Tîrgu- Mureş (1926-40; director, 1946-48), Timişoara (1940-45), and Bucharest (1949-73). He was the ed. of the important Romanian monthly Muzica (1953-64). Vancea belongs to the national school of Romanian composers; in his music he makes use of folk-song patterns without direct quotations. Harmonically, he adopts many procedures of cosmopolitan modern music while cautiously avoiding abrasive sonorities.

Writings

Istoria muzidi românesti (Bucharest, 1953); Creala muzicalä romàneasca, secolele XIX-XX (Romanian Musical Compositions of the XIX-XX Centuries; Bucharest, 1968); Studii şi eseuri muzicale (Musical Studies and Essays; Bucharest, 1974).

Works

dramatic: B a l l e t - p a n t o m i m e: Priculiciul (The Werewolf; 1933; Bucharest, April 30, 1943; rev. 1957). ORCH.: Rapsodia bănăteană No. 1 (1926); Scoarte,suite for Chamber Orch. (1928); 2 Grotesque Dances (1937); Simfonieta I (1948); O zi de vara (On a Summer Day), suite (Bucharest, Sept. 23, 1951); Triptic simfonic: Preambul, Intermezzo, Mars (1958; Bucharest, May 10, 1959); Burlesca (1959); Concerto for Orchestra (1961; Bucharest, May 10, 1962); 5 Piese (Pieces) for Strings (1964; Romanian TV, Feb. 4, 1965); Prolog simfonic (Bucharest, March 9, 1974); Elegiefor Strings (Tîrgu- Mureş,, June 10,1977). CHAMBER: Cvartet bizantin (Byzantine Quartet; 1931); 8 string quartets (1934, 1953, 1957, 1965, 1970, 1970, 1978, 1980); String Trio (1981). VOCAL: Requiemfor Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass, Chorus, and Orch. (1941); Cintecul păcii (Song of Peace) for Soprano, Chorus, and Orch. (1961); 5 songs for Tenor and Orch. (Tîrgu-Mureş, Sept. 25, 1977); choruses; solo songs with piano.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire