Role

:

Composer

Country

:

France

Birth

:

April 4, 1935 in Clermont-Ferrand, France

Genre

:

Avant-Garde

 

 

Chamber

 

François-Bernard Mâche is a French composer and musicologist who was born on August 4, 1935, in Clermont-Ferrand, France. He grew up in a family of musicians, with his father being a composer and his mother a pianist. Mâche began his musical education at a young age, studying piano and composition with his parents. He later went on to study at the Paris Conservatory, where he was a student of Olivier Messiaen and André Jolivet. Mâche's early works were heavily influenced by the music of Messiaen and Jolivet, as well as by the musique concrète movement. He was particularly interested in the use of electronic and concrete sounds in his compositions, and he began experimenting with these techniques in the 1960s. One of his most famous works from this period is "L'Atlantide," a piece for orchestra and tape that was premiered in 1967. In the 1970s, Mâche began to incorporate elements of traditional music from around the world into his compositions. He was particularly interested in the music of non-Western cultures, and he traveled extensively to study and collect recordings of traditional music. This interest is reflected in works such as "Kengir," a piece for orchestra and tape that incorporates elements of Kazakh music, and "Mouvements," a work for solo piano that draws on the rhythms and melodies of African music. Mâche's music is characterized by its use of unconventional sounds and techniques, as well as its incorporation of non-Western musical traditions. He has been praised for his ability to create complex and intricate textures, as well as for his use of silence and space in his compositions. His works often explore themes of nature, mythology, and spirituality, and he has been influenced by the writings of philosophers such as Gaston Bachelard and Mircea Eliade. In addition to his work as a composer, Mâche is also a respected musicologist and scholar. He has written extensively on the music of non-Western cultures, as well as on the history and theory of music. He has taught at several universities in France, including the Sorbonne and the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, and he has been a visiting professor at universities around the world. Mâche's compositions have been performed by orchestras and ensembles around the world, and he has received numerous awards and honors for his work. In 1985, he was awarded the Grand Prix National de la Musique by the French Ministry of Culture, and in 2003 he was elected to the Académie des Beaux-Arts. He has also been awarded the Prix Italia, the Prix de Rome, and the Grand Prix de la Ville de Paris. Some of Mâche's most notable works include "L'Atlantide," "Kengir," "Mouvements," "Le Livre des Claviers," and "Le Temps Restitué." "L'Atlantide" is a large-scale work for orchestra and tape that explores the myth of the lost city of Atlantis. The piece incorporates electronic and concrete sounds, as well as traditional orchestral instruments, and it has been praised for its innovative use of technology and its evocative imagery. "Kengir" is a work for orchestra and tape that draws on the music of the Kazakh people. The piece incorporates traditional Kazakh instruments and melodies, as well as electronic and concrete sounds, and it has been praised for its ability to create a sense of otherworldliness and mystery. "Mouvements" is a work for solo piano that draws on the rhythms and melodies of African music.

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