Martinet, Jean-Louis

Martinet, Jean-Louis, French composer; b. Ste.-Bazeille, Nov. 8, 1912. He first studied piano and harmony at the Bordeaux Cons., and then pursued training at the Paris Cons., where his mentors included Plé-Caussade (fugue), Roger-Ducasse and Messiaen (composition), and Munch, Desormière, and Fourestier (conducting), and where he took the premier prix in composition (1943). In 1952 his Variations for String Quartet received the Grand Prix Musical de la Ville de Paris. From 1970 to 1976 he taught at the Montreal Cons., and then returned to France.

Works

dramatic:La Trilogie des Prométhées, mimodrama (1947). orch.: Orphée, symphonic poem (1944–45); Prométhée, symphonic fragments (1947); Deux Images (1953–54); Divertissement Pastoral for Piano and Orch. (1955); 3 symphonic movements: No. 1 for Strings (1957), No. 2, Luttes (1958–59), and No. 3, Patrie (1976–77); Sym., In Memoriam (1962–63); Le Triomphe de la Mort, dramatic sym. (1967–73); Tristesse, Ôma Patrie for Viola or Cello and Orch. (1976). chamber: Variations for String Quartet (1946); Piece for Clarinet and Piano (1954); Étude de Concert for Harp (1984). keyboard: piano: Prélude et Fugue for 2 Pianos (1942; rev. 1965). organ:Passacaille (1984). vocal: 6 Songs for Chorus and Orch., after René Char (1948; rev. 1967); Episodes, cantata for Bass, Chorus, and Orch. (1949–50); Sept poèmes de René Char for Vocal Quartet and Orch. (1951–52); 3 Chants de France for Chorus (1955, 1956, 1979); Eisa, cantata for Chorus, after Louis Aragon (1959); Les Amours, cantata for Chorus, after Ronsard (1959–60); Les Douze for Reciter, Chorus, and Orch. (1961); Sur le Fleuve Tchou, cantata for Soprano, Baritone, and Chamber Ensemble (1981–82).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire