User:Alexandre Malignan/Henry Malineanu

Henry Malineanu (Bucarest, March 25, 1920 - Bucarest, November 12, 2000) was a Romanian composer and conductor of light music, musical theatre (musicals), stage music and film music

He was a conductor at the Theatres "Baraşeum (1942-1944), "Gioconda (1944-1948), musical director and conductor at the Bucharest Revues Theatre (1950-1958).

Biography
Born in Bucharest in 1920 in a Jewish family, he studied in parallel with his high school at the Royal Conservatory of Music under the guidance of the great teachers Cecilia Nitzulescu-Lupu (violin), Ion Nonna-Otescu (harmony), Mihail Andricu (chamber music)... and founded at only 16 year of age his own jazz band called "Tango", then "Metropol", with which he appeared live on the radio.

A first contact with the world of the stage, in the ensemble of the "New" Theatre in Calea Văcărești already allows him to collaborate with big names of the time such as the composer Max Halm, the director Jacob Sternberg, the actors Sidy Thal, Stroe and Vasilache.

Promptly noted by the great composer, conductor and theatre personality Ion Vasilescu, he obtains at 18 years of age the pianist spot in the orchestra of the theater «Alhambra» and makes his debut in the revue « De la munte la mare » on the stage of the garden «Colos». About Mălineanu, Vasilescu will declare that he considers him as "my dearest disciple, almost a son".

The year 1938 also brings him the first recording of his own songs on Columbia and Electrecord records, as well as his admission as a member of the Society of Romanian Composers following his first musical successes: the tango « Iubește-mă așa cum sunt » and the song « Întoarce-te curând », written for Lya Craciunescu and reprised by Jean Moscopol as well as by the young Gică Petrescu. Henry Mălineanu regularly participates alongside Ion Vasilescu, in the creation of songs and musical numbers for the performances of the "Alhambra" until 1940, then in the musical comedy « Suflet candriu de papugiu » (« Crazy Soul of a Happygolucky»).

At the same time he meets Eugen Mirea (1908-1973), an already acknowledged lyricist and author of librettos, with whom he would collaborate, in a close friendship, for over 30 years.

Forced to officially leave the limelight because of the antisemitic laws proclaimed at that time in Romania, he continues to compose and write under the protection of Ion Vasilescu (and the pseudonym of gallant personalities of the theater) many unforgettable songs in the revues of the theatres «Alhambra» and «Gioconda» : for example « Astă seară mă fac ‘praf ‘ » appeared with the lyrics but also the music (!) signed by the playwright Tudor Muşatescu !

After the establishment in 1941 of the Jewish theatre « Baraşeum », Henry Malineanu creates on the stage of this theatre together with Eugen Mirea the highly successful shows « Primăvara în Do major », « Dai un ban dar face », « Barașeum ’42 » and « Allo Barașeum » which launch everlasting songs such as ''« …Că doar n-o să trăiesc cât lumea ! » or « Pe cine-aș fi iubit, dacă n-ai fi fost tu ?… »''

In parallel, he collaborates with Ion Vasilescu on the revues the latter created at the theatre "Gioconda": « Gioconda »: « Gioconda Palace » (1943), « Răpirea Giocondei », « Gioconda iubește », « Giocondita », etc.

After 1944 he reintegrates Ion Vasilescu's theatre as conductor and co-director and participates in the creation (this time with due credits) of shows beloved by the public such as Aliații Giocondei » (1945), « Gioconda la Savoy » (1946),  «Giocondele vesele » (1946), etc. in which one hit song succeeds another: ''« Ce să fac dacă-mi placi ? », « Primul nostru tango », « Ce bine ne-nțelegem noi doi »,  « Mai dă-mi un telefon », « Fericirea mea e-n mâinile tale », while at the Theatre « Boema» the show « Dragoste pe puncte » (1947) launches « Ce cauți tu în viața mea » (later forbidden by the communist regime), “Adevărata mea dragoste”, « Valsul nostru »''…

Henry Malineanu founded together with Jack Fulga, Puiu Maximilian, Elly Roman and Maria Tanase the Teatrul de Stat de Revistă (or Teatrul de Estradă -1949 and later the Ansamblul de Estradă -1952), whose musical director he became between 1950-1958. He thus created the music for the "Show No.1" (or "First Show") that would be played more than three hundred times, bringing together 150,000 spectators. Among the most successful shows at this theatre was « Concertul popoarelor »  (« The Concert of the Peoples », 1953) for which he composed « Dragi mi-s cântecele mele », a genuine hymn dedicated to authentic Romanian music (and thus perceived by the authorities of the time to be implicitly anti-Soviet), sung by the immortal Maria Tanase.

The shows « Între noi- femeile » (1958), « Concert în re hazliu » (1960), « Expozitie de muzica ușoară » (1963) launch many hit songs appreciated by the public (« Mica serenadă », « Am început sa-mbătrânesc », « Cine n-a iubit măcar o dată », « Gama », « Signorina Musica », « E de necrezut », « Îmi placi din ce în ce mai mult » etc).

Songs in which he masterfully combines the rhythms of the Romanian folklore with dance songs in jazz orchestrations gain ever wider audiences :  « Hop și-așa », « Garofița » (which rapidly became a massive hit in several countries) « Cele mai frumoase fete » etc.

The long collaboration with the Theatre «Fantasio» in Constanta led by the composer Aurel Manolache gave life to the shows « Revelion în iulie » (1968), « Super Fantasio » (1974), « Veselia n-are vârstă » (1977), « Revista de aur » (1979), « Fantasiada » (1980), « Fantasiorama » (1981), « Nunta la Fantasio » (1984) as well as « Cioc, boc, hai la joc » and "Avioane de hârtie" (rmusical shows for children, 1982 and 1985), which enjoyed broad appreciation from the public. In these shows he worked with a team of great names of the Romanian stage life: Eugen Mirea, director Nicuşor Constantinescu, choreographers Oleg Danovschi and Cornel Patrichi, scenographer arch. Teodora Dinulescu, a.s.o.

The 60s saw the birth of the new generation of Romanian light music performers, for whom he would compose songs such as « Nici-o dragoste nu e ca a noastră » (Margareta Pâslaru), « Nimeni » (Doina Badea), “Dacă n-oi trăi acum” (Dan Spătaru). At the same time, hits like « Aș vrea iar anii tinereții » and « Nu se poate » (with which Ioana Radu won the 1st Prize at the Mamaia Light Music Festival in 1969) enshrine him as one of the most appreciated authors of romances (Romanian lyrical songs).

Also during this period, Henry Mălineanu creates with Eugen Mirea at the Nottara Theatre the musical comedies « Lady X», « Au fost odată… două orfeline » și « Bună seara domnule Wilde »  (« Good evening Mr Wilde »), the latter considered as undeniable peaks of the genre in Romania, acclaimed by critics and the public, adapted and reprised by countless theatres in the country and abroad.

He is the also author of the operetta "Suflet de artist" (1963), based on the songs and life of Ion Vasilescu, staged at the Bucharest Opera Theatre and performed in the main roles by Ion Dacian and Silly Popescu.

Henry Mălineanu also created the music of numerous films and stage plays (among which should be noted the unforgettable « Căruță cu paiațe » or the evergreen « Comedie de modă veche » and « Micul infern » which delighted the public over five hundred performances).

Songs
Henry Mălineanu composed hundreds of songs (over 450 are recorded at the Romanian Union of Composers and Musicologists); here an alphabetical list of the 100 best known, with lyrics credits and the original interpreters:

Musicals
Henry Mălineanu signed on the librettos by Eugen Mirea the musical comedies : "Au fost odată... două orfeline" (1965, directed by Sanda Manu), "Bună seara, domnule Wilde !" (1971, directed by Alexandru Bocăneț) and « Lady X « (1974, directed by George Rafael), at the Nottara Theatre of Bucharest.

In the French adaptation of Eugen Mirea "Au fost odată... două orfeline" directed by Jacques Fabbri was staged at the Théatre des varietés in Paris under the title "Il était... deux orphelines".

Stage music
Henry Malineanu created for the National Theatre of Bucharest the music of the plays : «  Căruța cu paiațe » ,by Mircea Stefanescu, «  Comedie de modă veche », by Alexey Arbuzov, «  Drumul singurătății » by Artur Schnitzler, «  Infernalul mecanism », by Jean Cocteau, «  Autorul e în sală », by Ion Baiesu,  «  Act venețian », by Camil Petrescu -  all directed by Mihai Berechet and « The Cherry Orchard », by Tchekhov, directed by Andrei Serban, and for the « C.I.Nottara » Theatre :  «  Micul infern », by Mircea Stefanescu, «  Amintirile Sarei Bernhardt », by John Murrell,  «  Citadela sfărâmată", by Eugen Lovinescu,  « Sentimente și naftalină », by Sidonia Dragusanu, «  Mizerie și noblețe », by Eduardo Scarpettaall directed by Mihai Berechet.

Among many other notable collaborations : "Infidelitate conjugală" at the « Lucia Sturza Bulandra » Theatre, "Umor pe sfori", "2-0  pentru noi", "Milioanele lui Arlechin", "Mica sirenă » (« The Little mermaid ») at the Teatrul Țăndărică Theatre, "Eu sunt tatăl copiilor", "Școala calomniei" (School for Scandal), etc.

Film music
He composed the music for the films:


 * Marinică (1956),
 * Șurubul lui Marinică (1956),
 * Portretul unui necunoscut (1960),
 * O zi pierdută (1960),
 * Lada cu zestre (1961),
 * Post restant (1961),
 * Gaudeamus igitur (1965),
 * Șeful sectorului suflete (1967),
 * De trei ori București (1967),
 * Pantoful Cenușăresei (1969),
 * Răutăciosul adolescent (1969)

Honours and awards
• State Prize Laureate (1953)

• Artist Emeritus (1962)

• Henry Malineanu won the Mamaia Light Music Festival Awards (1963, 1964, 1969, 1971, 1984) and romance (lyrical songs) festival « Crizantema de aur » (1980) as well as the Romanian Composers' Union Award (1971, 1977, 1978, and 1991 for his entire musical activity).