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Grove Music Online Jolivet, André Barbara L. Kelly https://doi.org/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.14433 Published in print: 20 January 2001 Published online: 2001 (b Paris, Aug 8, 1905; d Paris, Dec 20, 1974). French composer. His father, a painter, and his mother, a pianist, encouraged him to become a teacher, despite his obvious early musical talent; from the age of 14 he took cello lessons with Louis Feuillard, set his own poem to music at 13 and at 15 designed and composed music for a ballet. The music of Debussy, Dukas and Ravel made a lasting impression on him at the Pasdeloup concerts in 1919. In 1920 the Abbé Théodas, maître de chapelle of Notre Dame de Clignancourt, Paris, accepted him as a chorister, teaching him harmony and organ. He left school that year and trained as a teacher, taking up various posts in Paris from 1927. Some early piano compositions date from this period, including Romance barbare (1920) and Sarabande sur le nom d'Eric Satie (1925). In 1928 he started lessons with Paul Le Flem, director of the Chanteurs de St Gervais, whose rigorous training in counterpoint, harmony and classical forms often drew on 15th- and 16th-century polyphonists. Jolivet's first significant exposure to atonal music occurred in December 1927 at the Société Musicale Indépendante's Schoenberg concerts at the Salle Pleyel, where he heard Pierrot lunaire sung by Marya Freund, piano pieces performed by Eduard Steuermann and the Suite op.29. In 1929 Varèse's Amériques had a profound impact on him; Jolivet was struck by the large orchestral forces, dominated by percussion. Le Flem, responding to Jolivet's enthusiasm, introduced him to Varèse, who accepted him as his only European student. Varèse's impact is evident in Jolivet's experimentation with sound-masses, acoustics, orchestration and atonal (though nonserial) methods. Jolivet's first important compositions date from 1930, with works such as Air pour bercer, Suite for string trio and Trois temps. Varèse returned to the USA in 1933 leaving Jolivet six objects: a puppet, a magic bird, a statue of a Balinese princess, and a goat, cow and winged horse sculpted by Calder, which Jolivet regarded as fetish objects. In 1935 he composed Mana for piano, naming a movement after each object. Contrast is created between the rhythmically free portrayal of the puppet, the short halting phrases of the bird, the rhythmic momentum of the Balinese princess, and the long flexible lines evoking the cow. Movements 3, 4 and 5 are unified by the tritone; the opening of the fifth movement is based on two transpositions of the octatonic scale. Mana began Jolivet's so-called ‘magic’ period. Cinq incantations for solo flute (1936) and Cinq danses rituelles (1939) are concerned with the life-cycle and with harvest. While the former work contains shifting and flexible Page 1 of 15

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rhythms, repeated phrases and single notes, the latter is characterized by syncopation and heavily dotted rhythms. Jolivet exploits the dissonant effect of the repeated diminished octaves and minor seconds in the final section of the nuptial dance. By focussing on ritual, incantation and initiation practices, Jolivet sought inspiration from African and East Asian traditions. Messiaen, a jury member of the Société Nationale, helped to get Jolivet's Trois temps pour piano (1930) performed by the society in 1931. In a review of Mana, Messiaen noted the ‘novelty of its idiom and the singularity of its aesthetic’, which, in his view, seemed ‘to express the new aspirations’. They both shared an interest in spiritual concerns and a desire to widen the emotional range of music. In 1935 Jolivet, Messiaen and Daniel-Lesur founded ‘La spirale’, an avant-garde chamber music society. Then in 1936, with Yves Baudrier, they formed the group known as ‘La jeune France’, their first concert taking place on 3 June 1936, conducted by Désormière. They became known as the ‘quatre petits frères spiritualistes’ because they promoted spiritual values and human qualities in a ‘mechanical and impersonal’ world. They also rejected Stravinsky's neo-classicism, Satie, Les Six and central European experiments. The group's activities were curtailed by World War II. In 1940 Messiaen was interned and Jolivet was mobilized at Fontainebleau. Here he wrote a Messe pour le jour de la paix for voice, organ and tambourine (1940). Another important war-inspired work was the Trois complaintes du soldat for voice and piano or orchestra (1940). In 1945 Jolivet published an article in Noir et Blanc entitled ‘Assez Stravinsky’, in which he declared that ‘true French music owes nothing to Stravinsky’. Poulenc replied, defending Stravinsky, with an article in Le Figaro, ‘Vive Stravinsky’. In 1946 Jolivet responded to an enquiry on musical aesthetics and technique (‘Magie expérimentale’ in Contrepoints), in which he reaffirmed his musical aims, including his desire to rediscover music's ‘original ancient meaning’. He also outlined his preoccupation with acoustics, particularly his use of ‘doubled basses’ in preference to the ‘artificial twelve-note system’; by selecting two bass notes, he was able to exploit the harmonies that were available from both harmonic series. Jolivet simplified his style during the war, abandoning atonality in favour of lyricism and striving for a music for ‘evasion and relaxation’. Examples include the comic opera Dolorès, ou Le miracle de la femme laide (1942) and the ballet Guignol et Pandore (1943) on which he collaborated with Serge Lifar. In this farce, the director, who controls the human characters, is himself a puppet. The music is tonal, modal and simple, with repetitive rhythms and pentatonic glissandos, and tritones in the execution scene. The chamber works Chant de Linos (1944) and Hopi Snake Dance (1948) reveal his continuing preoccupation with ritual; the former exploits the flute's technical capabilities and reveals the influence of Le Flem's teaching in the contrapuntal independence of the lines. From about 1945 Jolivet achieved a fusion between his new-found accessibility and his earlier experimentation. Serge Gut has identified this synthesis in the First Piano Sonata (1945), written in memory of Bartók. Elements of virtuosity, dissonance and rhythmic Page 2 of 15

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drive feature in Fantaisie-Caprice for flute and piano (1953), Sérénade for two guitars (1956) and the numerous concertos, including two for cello (1962 and 1966) and one for violin (1972). Between 1945 and 1959 Jolivet was musical director of the Comédie Française. He composed 14 scores for plays by Molière, Racine, Sophocles, Shakespeare and Claudel. He had the opportunity to travel widely, to the Middle East and East Asia and to Africa; his visit to Egypt rekindled his interest in ritual in works such as Epithalame for a 12-voice ‘vocal orchestra’ (1953), based on sacred Egyptian, Hindu, Chinese and Greek texts, and the second movement of his First Symphony (1953). The Concerto for Piano and Orchestra (1949–50) was the result of a commission from Radio France for ‘a work of colonial inspiration’ and was awarded the Grand Prix de la Ville de Paris; by drawing on musical elements from Africa, East Asia and Polynesia, Jolivet was continuing the tradition of French exoticism established by Bizet, Chabrier, Debussy, Ravel and Messiaen. Jolivet's interest in French culture is evident from his oratorio La vérité de Jeanne (1956). Based on a 15th-century text rehabilitating Joan of Arc, it was performed in Domrémy for her 500th anniversary. His orchestral work Les amants magnifiques (1961) also involved a homage to France's past in Molière and Lully. Jolivet employs Baroque dance figures, ground bass and harpsichord, but reveals his individuality in emphasizing percussion, block writing, glissandos and harmonics. Jolivet founded the Centre Français d'Humanisme Musical at Aix-en-Provence in 1959 and taught composition at the Paris Conservatoire from 1961. His last commission, to write an opera, Le soldat inconnu for the Palais Garnier, was incomplete at his death.

Works Stage L'infante et le monstre (ballet), 1938, collab. Daniel-Lesur Ballet des étoiles (marionette play, J. Chesnais), 9 insts, 1941 La pêche miraculeuse (marionette play, Chesnais), 3 solo vv, 6 insts, 1941 Les quatre vérités (ballet, 1, H. Lenormand); Paris, 1941 Dolorès, ou Le miracle de la femme laide (opéra bouffe, 1, H. Ghéon), 1942 French radio, 4 May 1947 Page 3 of 15

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Guignol et Pandore (ballet, S. Lifar), 1943 Paris, Opéra, 29 April 1944 orch suite, 1943 L'inconnue (ballet, L. Vaillat), 1950 Paris, Opéra, 19 April 1950 orch suite, 1950 Ariadne (ballet, P.-A. Jolivet), 1964 Paris, Opéra-Comique, 12 March 1965 orch suite, 1964 Bogomilé, ou Le lieutenant perdu (op, M. Schneider), 1974, inc. extracts arr. M. Philippot, Paris, Opéra, 5 March 1982

Orchestral Andante, str, 1935 Danse incantatoire, 1936 Soir, band, 1936 Défilé, band, 1936 Cosmogonie, prelude, orch/pf, 1938 5 danses rituelles, orch/pf, 1939 Symphonie de danses, 1940 Psyché, 1946 Fanfares pour ‘Britannicus’ [after incid. music], brass, 1946 Page 4 of 15

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Ondes Martenot Conc., 1947 Concertino, tpt, pf, str, 1948 Conc., fl, str, 1949 Pf Conc., 1949–50 Conc., hp, chbr orch, 1952 Sym. no.1, 1953 Conc., bn, hp, pf, str, 1954 Tpt Conc. no.2, 1954 Suite transocéane, 1955 3 interludes de La vérité de Jeanne [from orat], 1956 Suite française, 1957 Perc Conc., 1958 Sym. no.2, 1959 Adagio, str, 1960 Sym., str, 1961 Les amants magnifiques, 1961 Vc Conc. no.1, 1962 Sym. no.3, 1964 Vc Conc. no.2, 1966 Vn Conc., 1972

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Vocal Choral La tentation dernière, cant, solo vv, chorus, speaking chorus, orch, 1941 Oh! Flibustiers (J. Mauclère), male chorus, perc, 1949 Epithalame (Jolivet), 12 solo vv, 1953 La vérité de Jeanne, orat, 6 solo vv, reciter, chorus, orch, 1956 Mass ‘Uxor tua’, S, S, A, T, B/SSATB, fl, ob + eng hn, bn, trbn, va/org, 1962 Madrigal (M. Jacob), 4vv, 4 insts/str orch, 1963 Le coeur et la matière, cantata, 5 solo vv, chorus, orch, 1965

Solo vocal Faux Rayon (P. Reverdy), 1v, pf, 1928 Chewing-gum (C. Sernet), 1v, pf, 1928 2 poésies de Francis Jammes, 1v, pf, 1928–9 Sonnet de Ronsard, 3 female vv, 1929 Chanson: la mule de Lord Bolingbroke (M. Jacob), 1v, pf, 1930 3 rondels de François Villon, 1v, pf, 1931 4 mélodies sur des poésies anciennes, 1v, pf/chbr orch, 1931 Prière des 13 hommes dans la mine (R. Hubermont), Bar/Mez, pf, 1931 Chants d'hier et de demain (J.P. Marat, M. Robespierre, J.L. Jaurès), Bar, male chorus, pf, 1931–37 Page 6 of 15

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Romantiques (R. Boudry, G. Ribermont-Dessaignes, V. Huidobro), 1v, pf, 1935 Le chant des regrets (L. Recolin), Bar/Mez, pf, 1935 Les chants du campeur, Le jeu du camp fou (P. Vaillant), 1v, pf, 1937 Poèmes pour l'enfant, Mez, 4 ww, tpt, hp, pf, str qt, 1937 3 chants des hommes (R. Boudry), Bar, orch, 1937 3 poèmes chantés (J. Bruyr), 1v, pf, 1939 Les trois complaintes du soldat (Jolivet), Mez/Bar, pf/orch, 1940 Messe pour le jour de la paix, 1v, org, tambourine, 1940 Suite liturgique, S/T, ob + eng hn, vc, hp, 1942 3 chansons de ménestrels (J. de Beer), Mez/Bar, pf/orch, 1943 Poèmes intimes (L. Emié), 1v, pf/chbr orch, 1944 Hymne à St André, S, org, 1947 Jardins d'hiver (G. Lefilleul), 1v, pf, 1951 3 poèmes galants (M. de St-Gellais, G.-C. Bucher, Père le Moyne), Mez/Bar, pf, 1951 Songe à nouveau rêvé (A. Goléa), S, orch, 1970

Chamber Suite, str trio, 1930 Air pour bercer, vn, pf, 1930 Suite, va, pf, 1931

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Sonata, vn, pf, 1932 Aubade, vn, pf, 1932 Choral et fugato, pf 4 hands, 1932 Str Qt, 1934 Chant d'oppression, va, pf, 1935 3 poèmes, ondes martenot, pf, 1935 Ouverture en rondeau, 4 ondes martenot, 2 pf, perc, 1938, arr. str orch, chbr orch; Petite suite, fl, va, hp, 1941 Nocturne, vc, pf, 1943 Suite delphique, 12 insts, 1943 Pastorale de Noël, fl/vn, bn/va/vc, hp, 1943 Chant de Linos, fl, pf/(str trio, hp), 1944 Sérénade, ob, pf/wind qnt, 1945 Petite Suite, 2 vn, va, vc, db, pf, perc, 1947 Hopi Snake Dance, 2 pf, 1948 Sérénade, 2 gui, 1956 Rapsodie à 7, cl, bn, valve cornet, trbn, perc, vn, db, 1957 Sonata, fl, pf, 1958 Sonatine, fl, cl, 1961 Alla rustica, fl, hp, 1963 Sonatine, ob, bn, 1963 Suite en concert, fl, 4 perc, 1965 12 inventions, wind qnt, tpt, trbn, str qnt, 1966 Page 8 of 15

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Controversia, ob, hp, 1968 Arioso barocco, tpt, org, 1968 Cérémonial, hommage à Varèse, 6 perc, 1968 Patchinko, 2 pf, 1970 Heptade, tpt, 6 perc, 1971 Pipeaubec, rec, perc ens, 1972 La flèche du temps, 12 str, 1973 Yin-Yang, 11 str, 1973

Solo instrumental Romance barbare, pf, 1920 Sarabande sur le nom d'Eric Satie, pf/orch, 1925 Tango, pf, 1927 2 mouvements, pf, 1930 3 temps, pf, 1930 6 études, pf, 1931 Trois croquis, pf, 1932 Danses pour Zizou, pf, 1934 Sida Yahia, pf, 1934 Algeria-Tango, pf, 1934 El viejo camello, pf, 1935 Madia, pf, 1935

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Fom Bom Bo, pf, 1935 Mana, 6 pieces, pf, 1935 Prélude apocalyptique, org, 1935 5 incantations, fl, 1936 Incantation ‘Pour que l'image devienne symbole’, vn/fl/ondes martenot, 1937 Cosmogonie, prelude, pf/orch, 1938 5 danses rituelles, pf/orch, 1939 Etude sur des modes antiques, pf, 1944 Pf Sonata no.1, 1945 5 interludes, org, 1947 Pf Sonata no.2, 1957 Hymne à l'univers, org, 1961–2 2 études de concert, gui, 1963 Suite rhapsodique, vn, 1965 Suite en concert, vc, 1965 Prélude, hp, 1965 5 églogues, va, 1967 Ascèses, 5 pieces, fl/a fl/A-cl/B-cl, 1967 Mandala, org, 1969 Tombeau de Robert de Visée, suite, gui, 1972

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Incidental music Aimer sans savoir qui (Lope de Vega), 1941 Le mystère de la visitation (H. Ghéon), 1942 Iphigénie à Delphes, 1943 La queste de Lancelot (J. de Beer), 1943 Le malade imaginaire (Molière), 1944 2 pièces d'Henri Duvernois, 1945 Le livre de Christophe Colomb (P. Claudel), 1946 Britannicus (J. Racine), 1946 Iphigénie en Aulide (Racine), 1946 Horace (P. Corneille), 1947 La flûte du boeuf (J. Audiberti), 1948 Hélène et Faust (Arnoux, after J.W. von Goethe), 1949 Les précieuses ridicules (Molière), 1949 Antigone (after Sophocles), 1951 Le bourgeois gentilhomme (Molière), 1951 Empereur Jones (after E. O'Neill), 1953 Les caprices de Marianne (A. de Musset), 1953 Prométhée enchaîné (after Aeschylus), 1954 Les amants magnifiques (Molière), 1954 Fantasio (Musset), 1954 L'amour médecin (Molière), 1955

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Le veuf (L.C. Carmontelle), 1955 Coriolan (after Shakespeare), 1956 Il ne faut jurer de rien (Musset), 1957 La réunion des amours (P.C. de Chamblain de Marivaux), 1957 Le guerrier de Rabinal (Inca trad.), 1959 L'eunuque (after Plautus), 1959 Antigone (after Sophocles), 1960

Film music Boxe en France, collab. A. Honegger, 1942 Mémoire des maisons mortes (Chéret), collab. Daniel-Lesur, 1942 La parole est d'argent, 1943 Les ultra-sons (P. Thévenard), 1944 La lueur qui s'éteint (documentary, Thévenard, 1946) Antergan, 1947 Le Spitzberg (E. Logereau), 1948 SIM (animation, Breuil), 1948 Le champignon qui tue (Thévenard), 1948 Saponite (animation), 1949 Le vrai coupable (Thévenard), 1951 Vingt minutes sous les mers, 1954 Les aventures d'une mouche bleue (Thévenard), 1954 Page 12 of 15

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Le soleil se lève à l'est (documentary), 1955 France Romane, 1956 promotional films

Music for radio Baschibah (J. Deval), 1950 La petite Catherine de Heilbronn, 1951 La fille d'honneur, 1951 Empereur Jones, 1953 La guerrier de Rabinal, 1959 L'Atrabilaire de Ménandre, 1962

Educational Grave et gigue, vn, pf, 1930 Déchiffrages, tpt, sax, cl, 1942–3 Danse roumaine, pf, 1948 Chansons naïves, 6 pieces, pf, 1951 Berceuse dans un hamac, pf, 1951 Air de bravoure, tpt/valve cornet, pf, 1952 Cabrioles, fl, pf, 1953 Chant pour les piroguiers de l'Orénoque, ob, pf, 1953 Fantaisie-impromptu, a sax, pf, 1953

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Fantaisie-caprice, fl, pf, 1953 Méditation, cl, pf, 1954 Danse caraïbe, pf, 1963

Principal publishers: Billaudot, Boosey & Hawkes, Leduc

Writings ‘Assez de Stravinsky’, Noir et Blanc (4 April, 1945) ‘André Jolivet, ou la magie expérimentale’, Contrepoints, no.1 (1946), 33–7 ‘Rameau, 1683–1764’, Les musiciens célèbres (Paris, 1946), 112–15 Ludwig van Beethoven (Paris, 1955)

Bibliography ‘La Jeune France: M. André Jolivet, M. Yves Baudrier, M. Olivier Messiaen, M. Daniel-Lesur’, Revue internationale de musique, no.4 (1938), 761–74 G. Michel: ‘André Jolivet: essai sur un système esthétique musical’, ReM, no.204 (1946), 8–26 J.-J. Brothier: La ‘Jeune France’: Yves Baudrier, A. Jolivet, Daniel-Lesur, Olivier Messiaen (Paris, 1955) Zodiaque, no.33 (1957) [Jolivet issue] S. Desmarquez: André Jolivet (Paris, 1958) M. Cadieu: ‘A Conversation with André Jolivet’, Tempo, no. 59 (1961), 2–4 A. Goléa: ‘Die zwei Welten André Jolivets’, NZM, 126 (1965), 412–15 B. Schiffer: ‘André Jolivet (1905–1974)’, Tempo, no.112 (1975), 13–16 S. Gut: La groupe Jeune France (Paris, 1977) H. Jolivet: Avec André Jolivet (Paris, 1978) Zodiaque, no.119 (1979) [Jolivet issue] Page 14 of 15

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K. Kemler: ‘Is there Magic in Jolivet's Music?’, MR, 44 (1983), 121–35 J. Martin and K.McNerney: ‘Carpentier and Jolivet: Magic Music in Los Pasos Perdidos’, Hispanic Review, 52 (1984), 491–8

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