Miereanu, Costin

Miereanu, Costin, Romanian-born French composer and teacher; b. Bucharest, Feb. 27, 1943. He studied in Bucharest at the School of Music (B.M., 1960) and the Cons. (M.F.A., 1966), and then attended the summer courses in new music given by Stockhausen, Ligeti, and Karkoschka in Darmstadt (1967–68). In 1968 he settled in France and in 1977 became a naturalized French citizen. He pursued training in musical semiotics at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales in Paris (D.M.A., 1978) and in the liberal arts at the Univ. of Paris (Ph.D., 1979). In 1978 he joined the faculty of the Univ. of Paris. He also was associated with Editions Salabert (from 1981), and taught at the Sorbonne in Paris (from 1982) and at the summer courses in new music in Darmstadt (from 1982). His music represents a totality of the cosmopolitan avant-garde: semiotics, structuralism, serialism, electronic sound, aleatory, musicalverbal theater, etc.

Works

dramatic:L’Avenir est dans les oeufs, opera (1980); La Porte du paradis, lyric fantasy (1989–91); film scores. orch.:Monostructures I (1966) and II (1967); Finis coronai opus (1966); Couleur du temps for Strings (1966–68); Espace dernier (1966–69; also for Chorus, 6 Instrumental Groups, and Tape); Rosario (1973–76); Rosenzeit (1980); Miroirs celestes (1981–83); Voyage d’hiver II (1982–85); Doppel(kammer)konzert for Saxophonist, Percussion, and Chamber Orch. (1985); Un temps sans mémoire (1991). chamber:Variants for Clarinet (1966); Sursum corda triplum for 7 Instruments (1967–82); Espace au delà du dernier for Chamber Ensemble (1968); Dans La Nuit des temps for Variable Ensemble and Tape (1968–69); Polymorphies 5x7 (A) for Variable Ensemble and Tape (1968–69) and (B) for 8 Instruments (1969–70); Altar for 6 Players or Singers, Tape, and Visuals ad libitum (1973); Aquarius for 2 Pianos and 2 Percussion (1974–80); Musique élémentaire de concert for Chamber Ensemble (1977); Piano-Miroir for Piano, Polyphonie Synthesizer or Electric Organ, Tape, and Visuals ad libitum (1978); Do-Mi-Si-La-Do-Re for Saxophonist and Tape (1980–81); Variants-invariants for Alto or Soprano Saxophone or Bass Clarinet and Korg SE 500 Echo Chamber (1982); Bucharest-Grenade for Guitar (1983); Aksax for Bass Saxophone (1983); Bolero des Balkans (C) for Saxophone(s) and Percussion (1984); Gyrasol I for Recorder Quartet, Percussion, and Tape (1984); Ombres lumineuses for Chamber Group and Synthesizers (1986); Miroir liquide for 6 Players (1986); Tension en cycle for 6 Percussion and Tape (1987); Limping Rock for Amplified Harpsichord (1988). Other: Various vocal, tape, and electronic scores.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire