Georges Farah

Georges Farah
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Born	April 23rd 1913 Baalbeck
Died	November 9th 2001
Nationality	Lebanese
Education	Lebanese National Conservatory of Music. 1942
Known for	Head of the Oriental Section of the Lebanese National Conservatory of Music
Style	Oud
Spouse(s)	Laurice Chahine Farah

Georges Farah (1913-2001) was a Lebanese composer. He is mainly known for being head of the Oriental section at the Lebanese National Conservatory of Music.

Life

Born in Baalbeck on April 23rd 1913, the city of the sun, north east Lebanon, Georges Farah, a Lebanese composer, he graduated from the Conservatory in 1942 as an oriental luth (oud) player. He later was director of the Oriental Section of the National Conservatory of Music in Beirut (1952-1977), the capital city of Lebanon. He is well-known for his musical efforts both in Lebanon and overseas. Mr. Farah served as artistic director of the Oriental Music Section in the Lebanese Broadcasting Station in 1943 while still a professor at the National Conservatory of Music. Moreover, he was one of the principal founders of the Artist's Union : Syndicat des Musiciens Professionnels au Liban.

His visits to both North and South America during the 1948-1950, was a great success. Among the several sensational concerts which he himself conducted, the oriental symphonic performance at the Municipa Theatre of "Rio de Janeiro" and the one at the Academy of Music in Brooklyn were most prominent.

With the collaboration of the Ministry of Education and Fine Arts, Mr. Farah was the principal founder of the Oriental Section at the National Conservatory of Music in Beirut in 1953. His main aim was the promotion fo Lebanese Music as a whole.

His compositions are varied. "Methods for the study of the Oriental Luth (Oud) and "The General Theory of Music" in the arabic language (1944), are still used as text books in the Oriental Section of Music in Beirut and in other parts of the Middle East. Inspired by several historic and famous sites in Lebanon, Georges Farah wrote some interesting music to that effect. Among these musical poems which are based on oriental themes are :

"Byblos", "Le Cèdre Eternel", "Le Palais de l'Emir (Beit-Eddine), "Grotte de Jeita", "Al Bardawni", "Liban Pays des Rêves", "Sidon", "Temples de Baalbeck", "Reverie" and "Tyr". He aslo composed some symphonic poems of which "L'indépendance du Liban", and "La Montagne Inspirée" were performed several times by the Orchestra of the National Conservatory of Music in Beirut, and in Rio de Janeiro by the Orchestra Sinfonico Brasileiro, and by the N.B.C Symphony Orchestra in Brooklyn, New York.

Mr. Farah's later works (1950) are a number of "Lebanese Art Songs", based also on oriental and occidental traditions put together in a classical and universal style. Some of these Art Songs, may be classed among the famous concert arias in the music world.

These arts songs were mostly created by Lebanese soprano, Najla Aboujaouda.

In 1974, French-lebanese pianist Henri Goraieb recorded 6 of his piano works.

All his works were given by his daughter, Najat Nohra, to the CPML, Centre du Patrimoine Musical Libanais, where they are safely archived.

Works

Piano

Impressions du Liban

1. Temples de Baalbeck
2. Le palais de l'Emir
3. Al-Bardawni
4. Grottes de Jeita
5. Byblos
6. Tyr
7. Le Cèdre Eternel du Liban, 1973
8. La Libanaise, L'indépendance du Liban, 1944
9. Liban pays des rêves
10. La montagne inspirée
11. Rêverie
12. Le Crépuscule
13. La Fille du désert
14. L'Horizon rose
15. Le Génie - La vie de Gibran Khalil Gibran,
16. Les souvenirs de Baalbeck, 1945
17. Hommage à Jupiter, 1930

Les Fantaisies Orientales

1. Sourire
2. Le printemps
3. Espoir
4. Souvenirs
5. Pour Nana
6. La danse du papillon
7. Les beaux souvenirs de Paris
8. La chanson du "oud"
9. Triste dimanche
10. Nostalgie
11. Château Al-Maamari, 1974

Vocal art songs

Art songs in arabic

1. حَرَموني مِنَّك
2. كانَ لي بالأمس
3. طال انتظاري
4. إلىَ مَيْ
5. انت الدني يا لبنان
6. كتمان

Decoration

The Lebanese Government gave Georges Farah a posthumous decoration that was presented to his son the day of the funeral.

Lebanese Order of Merit - Third Class "Silver"

Decree Number: 6834

Date: 4/12/2001 (posthumous)

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