Jean Absil (1893-1974) : List of the orchestral and chamber works

[eschiss1]

There is a probably complete list available at CeBeDeM and a slightly briefer list at Wikipedia. Other sources include the information in the records of the Fleischer Collection (Free Library of Philadelphia catalog) and the Royal Library of the Netherlands (at kb.nl) both of which are quite good at including extra information on works in their collection (for instance, tempo headings of movements)- FLP has a good number of Absil works, Koninklijke Bibliotheek not so many, but one appreciates what one finds.

Some of these may be publication dates, so consider them "best-known" dates. This has a little more information about some of these works than the CeBeDeM list but my only excuse for preparing it is
*we don't have it
*I didn't know about their list until - eh, excuses, excuses.
---
Op.1 - Symphony No.1 in D minor (1920)
Op.3 - La mort de Tintagiles, symphonic poem (1926)
Op.4 - Rapsodie flamande for orchestra (band arrangement by composer on a René Gailly CD. Original on a Talent CD.)
Op.5 - 1st String Quartet (1929)
Op.7 - Piano Trio No.1 (1931)
Op.10 - 3 Impromptus for piano (1932) (Fuga Libera CD)
Op.11 - Violin concerto No.1 (1933)
*1. Andante moderato -- 2. Chant funèbre -- 3. Final.
Op.13 - 2nd String Quartet
Op.16 - Wind Quintet (1934)
*1. Introduction and Fugue -- 2. Sicilienne -- 3. Rondo
Op.17 - String Trio No.1
Op.19 - 3rd String Quartet (1935)
*1. Adagio recitatif -- 2. Nocturne -- 3. Humoresque -- 4. Final.
Op.20 - Petite Suite for orchestra (small orchestra or wind band) (1935)
*1. Marche -- 2. Conte -- 3. Carrousel.
Op.21 - Fantaisie rhapsodique for 4 cellos (1936)
Op.25 - Symphony No.2 (1936) (now on a Musique en Wallonie CD)
*1. Allegro giocoso -- 2. Andante moderato -- 3. Molto vivo.
Op.27 - Sonatine for piano (1937) (Fuga Libera CD)
Op.28 - Quartet for Cellos (1937)
Op.30 - Piano Concerto No.1 (1937) (recorded with the 2nd concerto on LP and now on a Musique en Wallonie CD)
*1. Allegro moderato ma energico -- 2. Andante -- 3. Final : Molto vivo.
Op.31 - Saxophone Quartet (1937)
Op.32 - Three pieces (for piano or for piano right hand only) (1938)
Op.33 - Piano Quartet (1938)
Op.34 - 2nd Rhapsody for orchestra (1938)
Op.35 - Pièces en quatuor pour saxophones
Op.35bis - Hommage à Lekeu for orchestra (1939)
Op.36 - Marines for piano (1940) (Fuga Libera CD)
Op.37 - Suite pastorale  (1939), wind quintet or piano (in piano form, called "Sonatine No.2: Suite pastorale")
Op.38 - Concert à cinq (for flute, harp and string trio) (1939)
Op.39 - String Trio No.2 (1939, published 1948 by Chester)
Op.40 - Fantasy for Piano Quartet (1939)
Op.42 - Concertino for cello and orchestra (copyright 1940)
Op.44 - Serenade in 5 movements  (now on a Musique en Wallonie CD)
Op.47 - 4th String Quartet (1941)
Op.50 - Variations symphoniques pour grand orchestre (1942)
Op.51 - Suite No.1 for Cello and Piano (1942)
Op.54 - Viola Concerto (1942)
Op.56 - Rhapsodie roumaine for violin and orchestra (1943) (recorded on Alpha Cultura CD?, Electrecord LP)
Op.57 - Symphony No.3 (1943)
Op.60 - Concerto grosso for wind quintet and string orchestra (1944)
*1. Introduction et allegro moderato 2. Andantino poco allegretto et scherzando 3. Final
Op.61 - 5 Bagatelles for piano (1944) (Fuga Libera CD)
Op.62 - Grande suite for piano (1944) (Fuga Libera CD)
Op.65 - Jeanne d'Arc for orchestra (1945)
Op.67 - Hommage à Schumann for piano (1946) (Fuga Libera CD)
Op.69 - Chaconne (published as Chacone?) pour violon (1949)
Op.71 - Le miracle de Pan for orchestra or piano (1949)
Op.72 - Phantasmes for saxophone and piano
Op.74 - Epouvantail for orchestra (1950)
Op.76 - Contes (Tales) for trumpet and piano (1951)
Op.77 - Les météores, for orchestra (1951)
Op.78 - Suite for trombone, tuba or cello with piano (1952)
*1. Invention.--2. Epitaphe.--3. Humoresque.--4. Fugato.
Op.79 - Rites for band (1952) (on a René Gailly CD) (13 minutes)
*Pour saluer l'aurore -- Pour conjurer les esprits -- Pour fêter le soleil
Op.81 - Brasilian Rhapsody (for orchestra) (1953) (band arrangement by composer on a René Gailly CD)
Op.83 - Esquisses sur les sept péché capitaux for piano (1954) (Fuga Libera CD)
Op.85 - Croquis sportifs for band (1954)
Op.86 - Divertimento for saxophone quartet and orchestra (1955)
Op.89 - Introduction and waltzes (orchestre moyen) (1955)
Op.90 - Suite on popular Romanian themes for saxophone quartet (15 minutes. On CD on Paul Brodie/Dinant Records)
Op.91 - Légendes for band (1956)
Op.92 - Suite for small orchestra (1956)
Op.93 - Variations for piano (1956)
Op.95 - Suite bucolique for string orchestra (1957)
Op.96 - Échecs for piano (1957) (Fuga Libera CD)
Op.97 - Silhouettes for flute and piano
Op.99 - Fantaisie concertante for violin and orchestra (1958)
Op.100 - Burlesque for oboe and piano (1958)
Op.101 - Passacaille for piano In Memoriam Alban Berg (1959)
Op.102 - Rhapsody No.5 for Piano or Band (1959) (Roumaniana? - on a KMK CD)
*Danse de Craiova et de Caracal ; Berceuse mélancholique ; Danse de Transsylvanië ; Chanson de Brassov ; Fête populaire
Op.103 - Danses bulgares for piano (or wind quintet, or band (1961)) (1959) (Fuga Libera CD) (given op.102 on the Fuga Libera CD) (band arrangement on René Gailly) (10 minutes)
*Maestoso -- Andante -- Molto vivo -- Andantino -- Vivo
Op.104 - Bulgarian rhapsody for orchestra
Op.106 - Triptyque for orchestra (1960)
Op.107 - Etudes (Trente études préparatoires à la polyrythmie), first set (1961)
Op.108 - Du rythme à l'expression : 24 pièces musicales pour le travail des sonorités, du rythme, des contrastes, de l'expression
Op.110 - Deuxième grande suite - Hommage à Chopin for piano (1962) (Fuga Libera CD)
Op.112 - Sonatine en duo for violin and viola (1962)
Op.113 - Fantaisie-humoresque for clarinet & strings
Op.114 - Suite for guitar (1963)
Op.115 - Alto saxophone sonata (on an EMI CD)
Op.118 - Fanfares for band (1963)
Op.119 - 3 Pieces for 2 guitars (1963)
Op.120 - Rhapsody No.6, for horn and piano (1963)
Op.121 - 3 Pieces for Bandoneum (1964)
Op.122 - Concertino for viola and strings (1964)
Op.123 - also Pièces caractéristiques for guitar (1964) (Ricercar CD)
Op.124 - Violin concerto No.2 (1964)
Op.125 - Sonatine (no.3) for piano (1966) (Fuga Libera CD) ?
Op.126 - Humoresques (1965) for piano
Op.127 - 3 Pieces for great organ (1965)
Op.129 - Ballade for piano left hand (1966)
Op.130 - Nymphes et faunes for band (1966)
Op.131 - Piano Concerto No.2 (1967)
Op.132 - Allegro brillante for piano and orchestra or 2 pianos (1967)
Op.132 - also (same work?) Clarinet quartet
Op.134 - Violin solo sonata (1967)
Op.135 - Suite for 2 guitars (1967) (Ricercar CD)
Op.136 - Asymétries for 2 pianos (1968)
Op.137 - Croquis pour un carnaval (1968) for clarinet quartet and diatonic harp
Op.138 - 5 Easy Pieces (clarinet or alto saxophone and piano) (1968)
Op.140 - Alternances for piano (1968)
Op.141 - 2nd Suite for Cello and Piano (1968)
Op.142 - Symphony No.4 (1969)
Op.143 - Contrastes for 2 guitars (1969) (Ricercar CD)
Op.145 - Suite mystique for flute quartet (1969)
Op.146 - Violin and piano sonata (1970)
Op.148 - Symphony No.5 (1970)
Op.149 - Suite for trumpet in C or B-flat and piano (1970)
Op.151 - Petit bestiaire for guitar (1970) (on a Ricercar CD)
Op.152 - Fantaisie-caprice for saxophone and piano or band (7 minutes) (band version on René-Gailly)
Op.153 - Féeries (1971) for piano
Op.154 - Quatre esquisses for wind quartet
Op.155 - Guitar concerto (with small orchestra) (1971)
Op.156 - Ballade for alto saxophone, piano and small orchestra (1971)
Op.158 - Piano Trio No.2 (1972)
Op.159 - 12 pieces for guitar in positions 3-5
Op.160 - Déités (1972) for orchestra
Op.161 - 5 Images stellaires : pour violon et violoncelle
Op.162 - Piano Concerto No.3 (1973)

w/o opus?:
*Berceuse(s), 1932
*Etude pour saxophone (published 1992)
*5 Easy pieces for clarinet or alto saxophone and piano (pub.1969)
*Colas Chacha for large orchestra
*Andante, hommage to Lekeu (now on a Musique en Wallonie CD)

This is not yet complete in any case (though it contains some things that seem to be in neither the CeBeDeM list nor the Wikipedia list after all, like op.72 Phantasmes - ca.1949? - for example, which might be an arrangement of the (vocal- not including vocal works here, just because) 1936 Phantasmes for contralto (voice), alto saxophone, percussion and piano. (This was published at least according to some libraries- unless there is reason to doubt its authenticity that hasn't reached them.) This could be, since it's just for saxophone and piano...

[alberto]

The Rhapsodie Flande op.4 for orchestra exists on Cd Discover 920101 (cond. A. Rahbari).

[alberto]

Sorry. "Rhapsodie Flamande".

[eschiss1]

the Talent CD I mention is (or that part of it is) a reissue of the Discover CD, I think. Will have to check.

[alberto]

Discover Cd 920101 is (was) a 1992 recording and 1993 release.
Quite unusual the content.
Michel Brusselmans: Flemish Rhapsody
Maurice Schoemaker: Flemish Rhapsody
Marinus De Jong : Flemish Rhapsody
Jean Absil: Flemish Rhapsody
Albert Roussel: Flemish Rhapsody
August De Boeck..............Dahomeyan Rhapsody