MORTELMANS, Lodewijk

Lodewijk MORTELMANS (Antwerp, 5th February 1868 - Antwerp, 24th June 1952)

Lodewijk MORTELMANS studied at the Flemish School of Music of Antwerp, which later became the Royal Flemish Conservatory. Upon completion of his studies, for 2 years he took private courses in composition with Peter Benoit. In 1893 he won the First Grand Prize of Rome with his cantata “Lady Macbeth”. In 1891 he was awarded a prize for his symphony “Germania” by the Belgian Royal Academy.

In 1901 he started teaching counterpoint and fugue at the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp and in 1924 he became director of this institution. He taught also at the Lemmens institute of Malines. From 1903 to 1914 he was conductor of the “Société des Nouveaux Concerts” of Antwerp. The last twenty years of his life Mortelmans lived in the country and devoted hemself exclusively to composition. He was a member of the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium.

As a composer, he wrote orchestral works, chamber music, instrumental music, choir music and an enormous amount of songs. These songs are the most important expression of his musical evolution and belong to the best there is to offer on an international level.

The main characteristics of this art are total psychological unity between text and music, refined naturalism, dramatic expression and exquisitely phrased melodies arranged in fluid modal harmonies. His piano music evolves from romantic lyricism to impressionism, although his orchestral works are reminiscent of Schumann, Brahms and Wagner.

Historically seen in Flanders, Mortelmans is one of the composers who made the link between Romanticism and Impressionism.

[© CeBeDeM]

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