Barraud, Henry
Barraud, Henry
Barraud, Henry, French composer; b. Bordeaux, April 23, 1900; d. Paris, Dec. 28, 1997. He received training in harmony and counterpoint in Bordeaux, and then was a pupil of Dukas (composition), Caussade (fugue), and Aubert (composition and orchestration) at the Paris Cons. (1926–27). In 1937 he was director of music for the Paris International Exposition. He served as head of music (1944–48) and director of the national program (1948–65) of Radiodiffusion Française. He publ. Berlioz (Paris, 1955; 3rd ed., 1979), La France et la musique occidentale (Paris, 1956), Pour comprendre les musiques d’aujord’hui (Paris, 1968), and Les cinq grands opéras (Paris, 1972).
Works
DRAMATIC: La Farce du Maître Pathelin, opéra-comique (1938; Paris, June 24, 1948); La Kermesse, ballet (1943–44); L’Astrologue dans le puits, ballet (1948); Numance, opera (1952; Paris, April 15, 1955); Lavinia, opéra-bouffe (1959; Aix-en-Provence, July 20, 1961); La Fée aux miettes, radiophonie piece (1968); Le Roi Gordogane, chamber opera (1973–74); Tête d’or, opera (1980). ORCH.: Quatre Préludes for Strings (1928–35); Poème (1931); Concerto da camera (1934); Suite pour une comédie de Musset for Chamber Orch. (1936); Fantaisie for Piano and Orch. (1939); Offrande à une ombre (1941); Suite d’orchestre tirée des “Petits métiers” for Chamber Orch. (1942); 3 syms.: No. 1, Numance, after the opera (1952), No. 2 for Strings (1955–56), and No. 3 (1957; Boston, March 7, 1958); Images pour un poète maudit, suite for Chamber Orch. (1954); Rapsodie cartésienne (1960–61); Rapsodie dionysienne (1961); Concerto for Flute and Strings (1962); Divertimento (1962); Symphonie concertante for Trumpet and Orch. (1966); Trois Études (1966–69); Une Saison en Enfer (1968); Variations à treize for Chamber Orch. (1969); Ouverture pour un Opéra interdit (1971); Concerto for Strings (1972); Six variations sur l’indicatif “la Trompette de l’aurore” (1972). CHAMBER: Trio for Oboe, Clarinet, and Bassoon (1935); Trio for Violin, Viola, and Cello (1936); String Quartet (1940); Sonatine for Violin and Piano (1941); Concertino for Piano, Flute, Clarinet, Horn, and Bassoon (1954); Pièce concertante for Violin and Piano (1968); Saxophone Quartet (1974); Wind Quintet (1981). Piano: Six Préludes (1928–35); Prélude et fugue for 2 Pianos (1929); Histoires pour les enfants (1930); Premiers pas (1933); Six Impromptus (1941); Huit Chantefables pour les enfants sages (1945); Musique pour petites mains (1949). VOCAL: Chanson villageoise and La Ronde des trois filles vaniteuses for Chorus, Piano, and Orch. (1928–30); Trois Chansons de Gramadoch for Voice and Orch. (1935); Le Feu, cantata for Chorus and Orch. (1937); Trois lettres de Mme. de Sévigné for Soprano or Baritone and Piano (1938; also for Voice and String Orch.); Noël for 3 Voices (1945); Le Testament de François Villon, chamber cantata for Tenor, Chorus, and Harpsichord (1945); Le Mystère des Saints Innocents, oratorio for Baritone, Reciter, Chorus, Children’s Chorus, and Orch. (1946–47); Cantate pour l’Avènement du prince de Monaco for 4 Voices and Orch. (1950); Te Deum for Chorus and Orch. (1955); Pange lingua (hommage à Rameau), cantata for Soprano, Baritone, Chorus, and Orch. (1964); La Divine Comédie, cantata for 5 Soloists and Orch. (1972–73); Enfance à Combourg, choral sym. for Children’s Voices, 2 Pianos, and 2 Percussionists, after Chateaubriand (1976).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire