Alfred Desenclos

Alfred Desenclos (7 February 1912 – 31 March 1971) was a French composer of (modern) classical music. Desenclos was a self-described "romantic" whose music is highly expressive and atmospheric and rooted in rigorous compositional technique.

To support his family Desenclos had to renounce continuing his general studies and work as an industrial designer until the age of 20, but in 1929 he entered the Conservatory in Roubaix, France, to study piano. Until that time he had played only as an amateur.

His sacred music belongs to the tradition begun by Saint-Saëns and continued by Fauré. He won the Prix de Rome in 1942.

Desenclos's Messe de requiem was written in 1963 and published by Durand et Fils in 1967. In 1999 the piece was reprinted under the name of Atlanta-based composer Tristan Foison. Foison's mass was given its "American premiere" on 18 May 1999 in a performance by the Capitol Hill Chorale - but soon after the piece was discovered to be a note-for-note duplicate of Desenclos's.[1]

Compositions

• Aria & Rondo (double bass and piano)
• Bucoliques (flute and piano)
• Cantilene et divertissements (French horn and piano)
• Fantaisie (harp solo)
• Incantation, threne et danse (trumpet and orchestra)
• Messe de requiem
• Nos autem (SSATBB a cappella)
• Plain-Chant et allegretto (trombone and piano)
• Preludes (need instrumentation)
• Preambule, complainte et final (French horn and piano)
• Prélude, cadence et finale (alto saxophone and piano)
  • In 1997 this piece was arranged for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra by Russell Peterson
  • In 1999, this piece was arranged for Alto Saxophone and Winds by Donald Patterson and performed by Miles Smith with "The President's Own" United States Marine Band. The arrangement is available for rental from Theodore Presser Company.
    • in 2007 this piece was arranged for Alto Saxophone and small wind band by the Dutch saxophone player Karl Veen. However, the ensemble parts of this edition contain mistakes.
• Quatuor (saxophone quartet)
• Salve Regina (SATB chorus)
• Suite breve (piano solo)

Selected recordings

• Joël Suhubiette, direction, Les Elements: Desenclos: Requiem (Éditions Hortus, HORT009).

Persondata
Name	Desenclos, Alfred
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	7 February 1912
Place of birth
Date of death	31 March 1971
Place of death