Grisey, Gérard

Grisey, Gerard, French composer and teacher; b. Belfort, June 17, 1946; d. Paris, Nov. 11, 1998. He studied at the Trossingen Cons. (1963-65) and at the Paris Cons., where he was a student of Messiaen (1968-72). He also studied with Dutilleux at the Ecole Normal de Musique in Paris (1968), and attended the summer courses at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena (1969) and of Ligeti, Stockhausen, and Xenakis in Darmstadt (1972). From 1972 to 1974 he held a scholarship at the Villa Medici in Rome, and then studied with Emile Leipp at the Univ. of Paris VI (1974-75). In 1980 he was active with IRCAM in Paris and was in Berlin on a Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst fellowship. From 1982 to 1986 he taught at the Univ. of Calif, at Berkeley, and in 1987 he joined the faculty of the Paris Cons. Grisey’s music is obsessed with timbre as part of a “time-sound dynamic’’ found in the unique acoustic field in which his compositions reside. His use of instrumental color was metaphysical, intending to draw the listener’s attention to one’s own impressions of sounds, which Grisey described as being like a “cluster of forces that have their being in the realm of time,” living like cells that come into being and then die.

Works

ORCH Vagues, Chemins, le Souffle for Clarinet and 2 Orchs. (1970-72); D’eau et de pierre for 2 Instrumental Groups (1972); Dérives for 2 Orch. Groups (1973-74; Paris, Oct. 31, 1974); Les Espaces Acoustiques, cycle of 6 pieces: Prologue, Periodes, Partiels, Modulations, Transitoires, and Epilogue (1974-85; Modulations, Paris, March 9, 1978; 1st complete perf., Epilogue excepted, Venice, Oct. 5, 1981; Epilogue, Venice, Sept. 28, 1985); Le Temps et I’ecume for 4 Percussionists, 2 Synthesizers, and Chamber Orch. (1988-89; Radio France, Paris, Dec. 11, 1989). CHAMBER: Echanges for Prepared Piano and Double Bass (1968); Charme for Clarinet (1969); Megalithes for Brass (1969); Perichoresis for 3 Chamber Groups (1969-70); Periodes for 7 Players (Rome, lune 11,1974); Partiels for Chamber Ensemble (1975; Paris, March 4, 1976); Prologue for Viola (1976; Paris, Jan. 16, 1978; also for Viola and Live Electronics, Darmstadt, Aug. 7, 1978); Sortie vers la lumiere du jour for Electric Organ and 14 Players (Donaueschingen, Oct. 28, 1978); Jour, contre-jour for Electric Organ, 13 Players, and Tape (1978-79; Radio France, Paris, March 9, 1979); Tempus ex machina for 6 Percussionists (1979; Montreal, Nov. 13, 1980); Solo pour deux for Clarinet and Trombone (1981; Venice, Oct. 1, 1982); Anubis-Nout for Contra-bass Clarinet (1983; Latina, June 16, 1984; also for Bass or Baritone Saxophone, Turin, May 22, 1990); Talea for Violin, Cello, Flute, Clarinet, and Piano (1986; Radio France, Paris, Jan. 13, 1987); Accords perdue for 2 Horns (1987; Abbazia di Fossanova, June 23, 1988); Le Noir de I’Etoile for 6 Percussionists and Tape (1989-90; Brussels, March 16, 1991); Vortex Temporum I, II, and III for Piano and 5 Instruments (1994-96; 1st complete perf., Witten, April 26, 1996); Stele for 2 Percussionists (Radio France, Paris, Feb. 5, 1995). VOCAL: Initiation for Baritone, Trombone, and Double Bass (1970); Les Chants de I’Amour for Chorus and Synthesizer (1982-84; Paris, June 3, 1985); L’Icdne paradoxale for 2 Women’s Voices and Orch. (1993-94; Los Angeles, Jan. 18, 1996); Quatre Chants pour franchir le Seuil for Soprano and Chamber Orch. (1997-98; London, Feb. 3, 1999). OTHER: Wolf Lieder: In der Fruhe, Um Mitternacht, Das verlassene Magdlein, and Nun wandre, Maria, as orchestrated by Grisey for Mezzo-soprano and Instrumental Ensemble (Radio France, Paris, Nov. 23, 1997).

—Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire