Jean Françaix was a 20th century French composer known for his accessible yet original style. He studied at the Paris Conservatory where his father was director. Françaix won awards as a pianist and had early success with compositions like his Concertino for Piano and Orchestra. Throughout his career he wrote ballets and orchestrations of other composers' works. Though some viewed his music as light, Françaix was capable of depth and wrote a mystical work called L'Apocalypse de St Jean. He composed in a neoclassical style influenced by Stravinsky.
Jean Françaix was a 20th century French composer known for his accessible yet original style. He studied at the Paris Conservatory where his father was director. Françaix won awards as a pianist and had early success with compositions like his Concertino for Piano and Orchestra. Throughout his career he wrote ballets and orchestrations of other composers' works. Though some viewed his music as light, Françaix was capable of depth and wrote a mystical work called L'Apocalypse de St Jean. He composed in a neoclassical style influenced by Stravinsky.
Jean Françaix was a 20th century French composer known for his accessible yet original style. He studied at the Paris Conservatory where his father was director. Françaix won awards as a pianist and had early success with compositions like his Concertino for Piano and Orchestra. Throughout his career he wrote ballets and orchestrations of other composers' works. Though some viewed his music as light, Françaix was capable of depth and wrote a mystical work called L'Apocalypse de St Jean. He composed in a neoclassical style influenced by Stravinsky.
Composer Jean Franaix (1910-1949) wrote in an accessible,
attractive style that oten le! listeners an! commentators to i"nore the !epth an! ori"inality present in m#ch o his m#sic$ %is ather was the !irector o the &e 'ans Conservatory$ %is mother was a teacher an! choir !irector on its sta$ %e be"an to st#!y piano when he was o#r$ (eore he was ten he ha! m#sic lessons rom )si!or *hilipp (piano) an! +a!ia (o#lan"er (harmony, co#nterpoint, composition)$ %e p#blishe! a composition at the a"e o ten, *o#r Jac,#eline, a piano s#ite !e!icate! to his baby co#sin$ )n 19-0 he won irst pri.e in piano at the *aris Conservatory$ *ierre 'onte#x premiere! his /ymphony in 19-0$ )n the same year he wrote his Concertino or *iano 1 2rchestra$ 3he premiere o the wor4 in 19-4 ma!e Franaix5s rep#tation$ %e ,#ic4ly came into !eman!$ (allets 6#sses !e 'onte Carlo commissione! a ballet, /c#ola !i ballo (7ance /chool), choreo"raphe! by &8oni!e 'assine, base! on themes o (occherini$ 9nother ballet, &e 6oi n# (3he +a4e! :in" or 3he ;mperor5s +ew Clothes), was premiere! by the *aris 2pera in 19-<$ %e wrote a piano concerto in 19-= an! playe! it on his irst 9merican trip, in 19->$ %e to#re! oten with cellist 'a#rice ?en!ron, the 3rio *as,#ier, an! later, with his !a#"hter Cla#!e as a piano !#o partner$ Franaix was also 4nown or his orchestrations o wor4s by Chopin, /ch#bert, Chabrier, an! 'o.art$ *o#lenc re,#este! that Franaix orchestrate &5histoire !e (abar or him$ Franaix transcribe! many o his own wor4s or the 'ain. @in! ;nsemble$ 3he li"ht, witty character o Franaix5s m#sic has ca#se! some to !ismiss it as rivolo#s$ 2thers have !ecrie! the act that his style remaine! static thro#"ho#t his lie$ )n reality, he ha! o#n! all he nee!e! an! achieve! his mat#re voice imme!iately$ %is orchestrations are always clear an! spar4lin", his orms precise an! neo-Classical, his emotions reserve!$ Franaix ha! little #se or the 6omantic esthetic o the composer po#rin" his inner so#l into the m#sic$ )n this, he was primarily inl#ence! by 6avel$ %owever, he sometimes wrote wor4s o "reat !epth$ %is masterwor4 amon" this sort o composition is &59pocalypse !e /t Jean, written in 19-9, the year @orl! @ar )) be"an$ 3he wor4 is mystical, even ecstatic, with plain lowin" melo!ies reminiscent o ol! chant$ )t was premiere! in 1940 at the Conservatory, con!#cte! by Charles '#nch$ )t was playe! at a memorial concert or Franaix in &e 'ans in 1999, its irst French perormance since 19<1$ A Joseph /tevenson, 9ll '#sic ?#i!e