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Waelput, Hendrik

° Gent, 26/10/1845 — † Gent, 8/07/1885

Karolien Selhorst gebaseerd op Luc Leytens (translation: Joris Duytschaever)

Among the Flemish composers of his generation Hendrik Waelput has to be considered as an important figure because of his symphonies. However, the centennial of his death, in 1985, went unnoticed. There is a sense of tragedy about his life and work: it looks as if fate kept dogging him.

Nevertheless his career had started brilliantly enough. Already at a very early age his exceptional musical talent emerged, and songs of his were published before he was twenty. His first teacher was Karel Miry, the composer of The Flemish Lion. He enrolled as a student of law at the state university of Ghent but left for the Royal Conservatory in Brussels. In two years, from 1864 till 1866, he completed his musical studies with flying colours under the supervision of François-Joseph Fétis. Also Karel-Lodewijk Hanssens was among his teachers.

In 1867 he earned the Prix de Rome with his cantata De Wind (The Wind) on a text by Emmanuel Hiel. This was the very first time that a text in Dutch was considered acceptable, a reform that happened only after negotiating severe obstacles. As Waelput secured the first prize straight away and furthermore the second prize, too, went to the Fleming Leo van Gheluwe, the Francophone press talked about 'Le Sadowa des Flamands' (alluding to the crushing victory of Prussia in the 'fratricidal' struggle with Austria the year before). In making this choice, Waelput joined the camp of the budding 'Flemish nationalist' tendency, represented by Peter Benoit. In 1867-1868 he was also involved in the abortive attempts to found a Flemish opera in Brussels.

Henceforth Waelput, though he kept writing most of his correspondence preferably in French, was going to use only texts in Dutch for his compositions. In 1869 he was appointed as director of the music school in Bruges while he was still abroad, enjoying the usual study tour after earning the Prix de Rome, resulting in a stay of more than a year in Germany. In Bruges he immediately founded a concert society with an orchestra of its own. As early as 1870 he conducted it in Wagner's Tannhäuser and Lohengrin Overtures, which was then seen as a venture at the cutting edge. There he also composed his Memlinc Cantata (text by Eugeen van Oye) for the unveiling of the bust of the famous painter.

However, very rapidly he encountered adversity from the Bruges city council. A fishy affair in which envy and political scheming got out of hand resulted in his dismissal in 1871. To subsist, he offered his services worldwide as a freelance conductor in search of new horizons. His many wanderings did not interfere with his intensive composing activities.

In 1875 he was back in Ghent, where he was hired by the theatre. He was the first one to conduct in this city Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. On the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the Pacification of Ghent in 1876 Waelput was commissioned by the city council of Ghent with a cantata. This occasional cantata was executed with 500 singers and was widely acclaimed.

In 1879 Waelput became conductor in Liège and concurrently at the Royal (French) Theatre in Antwerp. In 1881 he occupied the same position at the Flemish Theatre of Brussels, where his lyrical drama Stella was premiered. Meantime his friend Benoit had saved him from the worst by appointing him in 1879 as teacher of harmony, counterpoint, and fugue at the Flemish Music School in Antwerp. This position he was going to keep till his death in 1885.

It is difficult and risky to write about Waelput's rather impressive oeuvre, simply because the majority of his works is never performed and the most important part has not even been published. The library of the Royal Music Conservatory of Ghent holds most manuscripts. Sporadic attempts to exhume his compositions remained very rare indeed.

Waelput shares the general predicament of systematic neglect inflicted on Flemish romantic music, rejected as it often is by people who have never heard it. Particularly the so-called 'Ghent School'has vanished completely. To be honest, Waelput always had some defenders, but only on paper. Thus the eminent, internationally famous musicologist Charles van den Borren wrote: "Every work by him that we know, shows the hallmark of an unusually refined ad sensitive personality".

Waelput covered a lot of ground. From the few pieces that we heard, no clear profile emerges. On the one hand he seems to take his cue from Robert Schumann in his often melancholy songs (on texts by Eugeen van Oye, among others). On the other hand in his dramatic works, such as the lyrical drama Stella, he allegedly aligns himself more with the style of Berlioz and Wagner, according to his biographer Bernard Huys.

In line with the period conventions Waelput wrote a number of cantatas. Some of them, such as De Zegen der Wapens (The Blessing of the Weapons, 1872, text by Eugeen van Oye) initially were fairly successful. Also some interesting works of his for male choir were published. Often his cantata De Pacificatie van Gent (The Pacification of Ghent, text by Emmanuel Hiel) was singled out as his masterpiece. No doubt the example of Peter Benoit had been inspiring in this context, though Waelput is by no means to be called a Benoit epigone.

And finally, in addition to some chamber music (including a string quintet) and pieces for piano, there are the works for orchestra. Of the five overtures, Anneessens was best received. In this genre there is also a Hulde aan Conscience (Homage to Conscience), performed in Brussels in 1881 when the popular writer was celebrated exuberantly on the occasion of his hundredth book. A series of shorter pieces, among them a Serenade for flute and orchestra as well as a Concerto Symphonique for the same strength and a Suite, stayed in the shadow of the five symphonies, the last of which remained unfinished. It is appropriate in this context to underline the fact that Hendrik Waelput was one of the very rare Flemings of his generation who systematically wrote symphonies. This is evidence for the assumption that the composer, in contrast to most 'nationalist' composers, felt attracted to absolute music.

Archief Bibliotheek Conservatorium Antwerpen.

Bibliografie

Anderen over deze componist

  • Benoit, P.: [recensie zonder titel, over Waelputs fluitconcerto], in: Le Guide musical, 21 februari 1867, p. 2.
  • Bergmans, C.: Waelput, Philippe-Henri-Pierre-Jean-Baptiste, in: Le Conservatoire royal de Musique de Gand, Gent, 1901, p.437-441.
  • Brenta, G.: Panorama de la musique belge - Deuxième partie: le XIXe siècle, Brussel, 1938, p. 22.
  • Corbet, A.: Waelput, Hendrik, in: Algemene Muziekencyclopedie, dl. 10, Weesp, 1984, p. 195.
  • De Vynck, E.: Henry Waelput, Brussel, 1935.
  • Gregoir, E.: Waelput (H.), in: Documents Historiques relatifs à l’art et aux artistes-musiciens, dl. 1, Brussel, 1872, p. 55-56.
  • Gregoir, E.: Waelput (Henri), in: Les artistes-musiciens belges au XVIIIme et au XIXme siècle, Brussel, 1885, p. 463-464.
  • Gregoir, E.: Waelput (Henry), in: L’Art musical en Belgique sous les règnes de Léopold Ier et de Léopold II, Brussel, 1879, p. 237.
  • Gregoir, E.: Pièces flamandes avec musique – Waelput (H.), in: Bibliothèque musicale populaire, ouvrage en trois volumes, dl. 1, Brussel, 1877, p. 17.
  • Huys, B.: Waelput, in: Nationaal Biografisch Woordenboek, dl. 7, Brussel, 1977, p.1037-1043.
  • Janssens, T.: ‘In zijn leven ging hij op doornen’ - Hendrik Waelput, in: De Gentse conservatoriumbibliotheek, tien componisten in profiel: op zoek naar muzikaal erfgoed tussen Belfort en Sint-Baafs, Mechelen, 2005, p. 135-153.
  • Lambrechts, L.: Hendrik Waelput, in: Het Zingende Vlaanderen, Maldegem, 1922, p. 27-33.
  • Leytens, L.: Hendrik Waelput, een vergeten componist, in: Kaderblad Jeugd en Muziek Vlaanderen, september 1985, nr. 147, p. 1-5.
  • Muziek-Warande, jrg. 1, nr. 5, 1 mei 1922, p. 137.
  • Pougin, A.: Waelput (Henri), in: Biographie universelle des musiciens et bibliographie générale de la musique par F.-J. Fétis, Supplément et Complément, publiés sous la direction de Arthur Pougin, dl. 2, Parijs, 1880, p. 641.
  • Sabbe, M.: De Muziek in Vlaanderen, Antwerpen, 1928.

Historische teksten

Waelputs fluitconcerto in een verslag van Benoit

Pierre Benoit

Lange tijd was het onduidelijk wie de première speelde van Waelputs Concerto Symhonique pour flûte et orchestre. De krant Le guide musical van 21 februari 1867 brengt de uitkomst: het was een leerling van Jan Dumon, met name M. Van Hasendonck. Het concert omvatte niet alleen Waelputs concerto, maar ook Benoits opera Het dorp in ‘t gebergte. De benefietuitvoering stond onder leiding van Waelput, als dirigent van het orkest van de Vlaamse opera in Brussel.

Uitvoering van Waelputs eerste symfonie in Den Haag

een anonieme journalist

[…] In vollen vaart zijn wij het muzikale seizoen binnengezeild. In nog geen veertien dagen hebben wij het 34e Toekomstconcert (13 Nov.) […] genoten […]. Een belangwekkend programma, goed uitgevoerd en voor ene goed bezette zaal, bood ons het Toekomstconcert.

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