Meulemans’ father was an artisan and a music lover who composed dance music. As a child, Arthur Meulemans received his first music lessons from his father and his uncle Jan, who taught him to play the piccolo. He also got violin classes from a certain mister Single, and piano lessons from Ernest Maréchal. Alfons van den Eynde, a student of Peter Benoit, gave the boy introductory classes in harmony, counterpoint, and fugue.
Meulemans studied at the LemmensinstituutinMechelen with, among others, Edgar Tinel, Aloys Desmet, and Oscar Depuydt. After completing his final exams, he became a teacher at this institution and remained so until 1914. He got married in 1911 and settled in Tongeren, where he taught music at the Koninklijk Atheneum (a high school). This situation lasted until 1930, the year in which Meulemans was appointed as conductor (together with Fernand Quinet) of the newly founded Vlaams Radio OrkestinBrussels., which nowadays is known as the Brussels Philharmonic. In 1916, he found the Limburge Orgel- en ZangschoolinHasselt. From 1932 until his death, Meulemans lived and worked in Brussels. In 1954 he was also appointed as the president of the Royal Flemish Academy.
Meulemans conducted several music societies run by amateurs, such as the Royal Harmony Vreugd en Deugd, where he worked between 1922 and 1930.
Arthur Meulemans, who is better known than his brother and composer Herman Meulemans, can be seen as a transitional figure between the Romantic Flemish generation, which appeared after Peter Benoit and Edgar Tinel, and the modern, international music that was established in Belgium thanks to August Baeyens. In 1909 Meulemans won the Prix de Rome with his oratorioDe legende van de Heilige Hubertus. Shortly before the start of World War I, his Kinderliederen were awarded with the Karel Boury Prize of the Flemish Royal Academy.
Meulemans composed a big symphonic oeuvre and, with his more than 350 pieces, is one of the most productive and well-known Belgian composers of the first half of the 20th century. He was born during the late romantic period and lived through the impressionism period during his teenage years. His greatest accomplishments are expressionistic. His style evolved from a romantic style to a more modern way of working, but throughout his work a strong lyricism remained a constant element.
Meulemans orchestration was tight, but colourful. His music shows a certain harmonic severity, but he does not leave tonality. A major part of his compositions are of a descriptive-programmatic sort, often related to his homeland Flanders.
Meulemans wrote over 15 symphonies, three operas, solo concerti for many different instruments, five string quartets, songs, oratorios and choir works. At the start of his career, he was mainly known for his vocal works, but after 1930 he started to focus on orchestral music.
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