Jean-Michel Damase (27 January 1928 – 21 April 2013)[1] was a French pianist, conductor and composer of classical music.
Jean-Michel Damase | |
---|---|
Born | Bordeaux, France | 27 January 1928
Died | 21 April 2013 Paris, France | (aged 85)
Occupation | pianist, composer |
Alma mater | Conservatoire de Paris |
Notable awards | Grand Prix de Rome |
Relatives | Micheline Kahn (mother) |
Career
editDamase was born in Bordeaux, the son of harpist Micheline Kahn.[2] He was studying piano and solfège with Marcel Samuel-Rousseau at the age of five and composing by age nine.[3] His first work (at the age of nine) was a setting of some poems by Colette, whom he had met at a Parisian salon.[1] In 1940, Damase began studying piano with Alfred Cortot at the École Normale de Musique.[4] The next year, he was admitted to the Conservatoire de Paris, entering Armand Ferté’s piano classes[4] and winning first prize for piano in 1943,[3] afterwards studying with Henri Büsser, Marcel Dupré and Claude Delvincourt for composition[3] and winning first prize for composition in 1947 for his Quintet for flute, harp, violin, viola, and cello.[4] In the same year, he won the Grand Prix de Rome[5] for his cantata Et la belle se réveilla.[4] Meanwhile, he appeared as a piano soloist in the Colonne and Conservatoire concerts, and with the Orchestre National of the ORTF.[4]
He made the first complete recording of Gabriel Fauré's nocturnes and barcarolles, for which he received the Grand Prix du Disque.[6]
Selected compositions
edit- Orchestral
- Orchestrations
- La fille mal gardée (1985) (of Peter Hertel's 1864 ballet score) [8]
- Concertante
- Concerto for harpsichord or harp and small orchestra (1984)[8]
- Concerto for viola, harp and string orchestra (1990)
- Chamber music
- Trio for flute, cello and harp (1947)[9]
- Trio for flute, viola and harp (1947)[9]
- Quintet for flute, harp and string trio, op. 2 (1948)[9]
- Aria for cello (or viola, or alto saxophone) and piano, op. 7 (1949)
- 17 variations for wind quintet, op. 22 (1951)
- Sonate en concert for flute, piano and cello (ad libitum), op. 17 (1952)[9]
- Trio for flute, oboe and piano (1961)
- String Trio (1965)[9]
- Sonata for clarinet and harp (1984)[9]
- Vacances for alto saxophone and piano (1990)
- Intermède for viola and piano (1990)
- Épigraphe for viola and piano (1991)
- Ostinato for viola and piano (1991)
- Prélude, élégie et final for bass trombone (or tuba) and piano (1993)
- Trio for oboe, horn, and piano (1993)
- Trio for two flutes and piano (1997)
- Sonata for cello and harp (2002)[9]
- Hallucinations for viola and harp
- Berceuse for horn and piano
- Pavane variée for horn and piano
- Operas
- La tendre Eléonore (1958, premiered 1962 Marseilles, libretto L. Masson)[4][10]
- Colombe (1958, premiered 1961 Bordeaux, libretto Jean Anouilh with Maria Murano)[4][10]
- Eugène le mystérieux (1963, premiered 1964 Paris, libretto Marcel Achard after Eugène Sue)[4][10]
- Le matin de Faust (1965, premiered 1966 Nice, libretto Y. Gautier and F. Dereyne)[4][10]
- Madame de ... (1969, premiered 1970 Monte Carlo, libretto Jean Anouilh after L. de Vilmorin)[4][10]
- Eurydice (1972, premiered 1972 Bordeaux, libretto Jean Anouilh)[4][10]
- L'héritière (1974, premiered 1974 Nancy, libretto L. Durcreux after adaptation by R. and A. Goetz of H. James: Washington Square)[4][10]
- Film scores
- Term of Trial (1962)[8]
References
edit- ^ a b see Bruneau-Boulmier, Rodolphe"Radio France Musique, "Dépêches notes"". Archived from the original on 2013-05-23.
- ^ see Greene, p. 1512; Lasser
- ^ a b c Greene, op. cit.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Girardot, Anne. "Damase, Jean-Michel." Grove Music Online. 2001. https://www-oxfordmusiconline-com.ezproxynec.flo.org/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000007115.
- ^ Lebrecht, Norman (1996). The Companion to 20th-Century Music at Google Books. Da Capo Press. page 86. ISBN 0-306-80734-3.
- ^ "Jean-Michel Damase: Emblematic Composer". Henry Lemoine. Archived from the original on 2008-11-15. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
- ^ a b Lasser, "Chez DAMASE: Catalogue, Orchestral Works". Archived from the original on 2011-07-08.
- ^ a b c Lasser, "Chez DAMASE: Catalogue, Stage & Film Works". Archived from the original on 2011-07-08.
- ^ a b c d e f g Lasser, "Chez DAMASE: Catalogue, Chamber Works". Archived from the original on 2011-07-08.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Stanford Opera-Web D-Composers". Retrieved 2008-12-26.
Sources
edit- Greene, David Mason (1985). Greene's Biographical Encyclopedia of Composers at Google Books. Reproducing Piano Roll Fnd. page 1512. ISBN 0-385-14278-1.
- Lasser, Michael. "Chez DAMASE: The Unofficial Webpage of Jean-Michel Damase". Retrieved 2008-12-26.