Born in the Manche within sight of the future landing beaches, he left more than two hundred works, including twelve symphonies written between 1975 and 2010. War kept returning to his music for fifty years: Airmen, Songs for the Dead Soldiers, two operas.
The story
Born at La Haye-du-Puits, in the Manche, on 19 December 1932, Aubert Lemeland grew up in country the Normandy landings would cut straight through: the war came back into his music for fifty years.
He composed more than two hundred works: twelve symphonies between 1975 and 2010, some fifteen concertos, and song cycles — Airmen, Time Landscapes, Songs for the Dead Soldiers, D'une saison l'autre, written for Renée Fleming.
Two operas: La Lettre au cachet rouge, after Vigny, given eleven times in Switzerland in 1995, and Lieutenant Karl, after Jules Roy.
The prizes came late, and from the profession rather than the public: a SACEM award, from the French composers' society, in 1987, the Grand Prix du disque of the Académie Charles-Cros in 1995, a Diapason d'or in 1998.
He died in Paris on 15 November 2010 and rests in Division 22, on Chemin de la Citerne, third row, beneath a plain plaque.
The grave
A simple plaque: “Aubert LEMELAND, 1932-2010”. Nothing of the catalogue — two hundred works, twelve symphonies, two operas — nothing of the prizes, nothing of the vocal cycles devoted to the dead of the war that give his work its unity. The composer born in 1932 in the Manche, within sight of the future landing beaches, rests beneath one of the most discreet graves in Division 22.
On site, do not miss
A plaque, a name, two dates. Nothing signals the twelve symphonies or the cycles for the dead soldiers that fill half his catalogue.
Visitors' questions
Where is Aubert Lemeland's grave?
In Division 22, chemin de la Citerne, third row, beneath a simple plaque: “Aubert LEMELAND, 1932-2010”. The Division is also home to Gustave Doré, the painter Karel Appel and the composer Ambroise Thomas.
Karel AppelWhat did Aubert Lemeland compose?
More than two hundred works: twelve symphonies between 1975 and 2010, some fifteen concertos, and song cycles such as Airmen and Songs for the Dead Soldiers. He wrote D'une saison l'autre for Renée Fleming.
Xavier LerouxDid Aubert Lemeland write operas?
Two: La Lettre au cachet rouge, after Vigny, given eleven times in Switzerland in 1995, and Lieutenant Karl, after Jules Roy. Two military subjects, like most of his vocal cycles — war runs through his catalogue from end to end.
Roger PlanchonWhat awards did he receive?
A prize from SACEM, the French composers' society, in 1987, the Grand Prix du disque of the Académie Charles-Cros in 1995 and a Diapason d'or in 1998: recognition that came from the profession rather than the wider public, and came late — he was fifty-five when the first of them arrived.
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