Composer

:

Pierre Henry

Genre

:

Electronic/Computer

Style

:

Electronic/Computer Music

Compose Date

:

1985

Hugosymphonie is a symphony composed by Pierre Henry, a French composer and pioneer of musique concrète. The symphony was composed in 1966 and premiered on May 10, 1967, at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris. The symphony is divided into four movements, each inspired by a different work of Victor Hugo, the famous French poet, novelist, and playwright. The first movement, "Les Misérables," is based on Hugo's novel of the same name and features a collage of sounds, including church bells, gunshots, and the sounds of a factory. The second movement, "Notre-Dame de Paris," is inspired by Hugo's novel of the same name and features the sounds of bells, organ music, and the chanting of monks. The third movement, "La Légende des siècles," is based on Hugo's collection of poems of the same name and features a mix of sounds, including thunder, wind, and the sounds of animals. The final movement, "Les Contemplations," is inspired by Hugo's collection of poems of the same name and features a mix of sounds, including the sounds of water, birds, and children playing. The characteristics of Hugosymphonie are typical of musique concrète, a style of music that uses recorded sounds as its primary source material. Henry manipulated and transformed these sounds using various techniques, including cutting, splicing, and looping, to create a collage of sounds that evoke the themes and emotions of Hugo's works. Overall, Hugosymphonie is a groundbreaking work that showcases Henry's innovative approach to music composition and his ability to create powerful and evocative soundscapes. It remains a significant work in the history of musique concrète and a testament to the enduring influence of Victor Hugo's works on French culture.

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