Compositions
Initially, Absil was influenced by the late Romantic school, particularly Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss. Around the time Absil made his trip to Paris in 1934, Absil began to adopt a more modern style. This included the use of polyphony and polymodal structures, influenced by contemporary composers such as Milhaud and Schoenberg.
The ear never suffers from an impression of tonal insecurity when listening to Absil’s music: while it is no longer possible to find a reference to the classical major or minor tonalities, the composer invents new modes, which he replaces for each piece. From these modes emerge chords which, even if they are different from the classical ones, also have an expressive sense (tension or resolution). Absil never practised a real atonality: the apparent tonal independence of the voices always resolves itself into a unique tonality.
Among his many compositions are the Ballade, op. 129, for solo piano (which is played with the left hand only) as well as 3 Pièces (played with the right one only).
Being a skilled pianist Absil composed a lengthy repertoire for the instrument, including three sonatinas (written in 1937, 1939, and 1965 respectively) and two Grand Suites. The Grand Suites (Op.110, composed in 1965) served as a tribute to Frederic Chopin. In 1946, he composed another work, Hommage à Schumann and eleven years later the Passacaglia in Memoriam Alban Berg, both of them for piano. He also composed one opera, Les voix de la mer, and a cycle of five symphonies, the first of which (op. 1) he composed at 27, when he was a pupil of Paul Gilson. It won the Prix Agniez in 1921. His last composition was the Piano Concerto no. 3, op. 162.
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