Francis Bayer (c. 11 July 1938 – 2 January 2004) was a French

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

and

musicologist Musicology (from Greek μουσική ''mousikē'' 'music' and -λογια ''-logia'', 'domain of study') is the scholarly analysis and research-based study of music. Musicology departments traditionally belong to the humanities, although some mu ...

Life

Born in

Villerville Villerville () is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France. the commune is located towards the eastern end of the coastline called the Côte Fleurie (Flowery Coast). Composer Francis Bayer (1938–2004) ...

(

Calvados Calvados (, , ) is a brandy from Normandy in France, made from apples or pears, or from apples with pears. History In France Apple orchards and brewers are mentioned as far back as the 8th century by Charlemagne. The first known record of Norm ...

), it was only after having undertaken postgraduate studies in philosophy at the

University of Paris , image_name = Coat of arms of the University of Paris.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of Arms , latin_name = Universitas magistrorum et scholarium Parisiensis , motto = ''Hic et ubique terrarum'' (Latin) , mottoeng = Here and a ...

, studies that led him to a doctorate, that Bayer decided to devote himself to

musical composition Musical composition can refer to an original piece or work of music, either vocal or instrumental, the structure of a musical piece or to the process of creating or writing a new piece of music. People who create new compositions are called ...

. He was then a student of

Henri Dutilleux Henri Paul Julien Dutilleux (; 22 January 1916 – 22 May 2013) was a French composer active mainly in the second half of the 20th century. His small body of published work, which garnered international acclaim, followed in the tradition of ...

at the

École Normale de Musique de Paris The École Normale de Musique de Paris "Alfred Cortot" (ENMP) is a leading conservatoire located in Paris, Île-de-France, France. At the time of the school's foundation in 1919 by Auguste Mangeot, Alfred Cortot. The term ''école normale'' (Engl ...

and obtained a degree in composition in his class in 1970. Among his main works are ''Perspectives'' for solo cello (1991), the ''Prélude à la nuit'' for orchestra (1992–96), as well as the ''Propositions'' series, a cycle of eight pieces for different audiences, each composed between 1972 and 1989, each illustrating in its own way what can be called a "poetic timbre". In addition to his activity as a composer, Bayer has been teaching aesthetics and

musical analysis Musical analysis is the study of musical structure in either compositions or performances. According to music theorist Ian Bent, music analysis "is the means of answering directly the question 'How does it work?'". The method employed to answer ...

as well as

instrumentation Instrumentation a collective term for measuring instruments that are used for indicating, measuring and recording physical quantities. The term has its origins in the art and science of scientific instrument-making. Instrumentation can refer to ...

and

orchestration Orchestration is the study or practice of writing music for an orchestra (or, more loosely, for any musical ensemble, such as a concert band) or of adapting music composed for another medium for an orchestra. Also called "instrumentation", orc ...

since 1971 in the Music Department of the

Paris 8 University Paris 8 University Vincennes-Saint-Denis (french: Université Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint-Denis) is a public university in Paris, France. Once part of the historic University of Paris, it is now an autonomous public institution. It is one of the th ...

where he had as students future composers as different in their aesthetic orientations as Bernard Cavanna,

Pascal Dusapin Pascal Georges Dusapin (born 29 May 1955) is a French composer. His music is marked by its microtonality, tension, and energy. A pupil of Iannis Xenakis and Franco Donatoni and an admirer of Varèse, Dusapin studied at the University of Paris I ...

Jean-Louis Florentz Jean-Louis Florentz (19 December 1947 – 4 July 2004) was a French composer. Biography Born in Asnières-sur-Seine, Florentz was a student of Pierre Schaeffer and Olivier Messiaen. In 1978, he won the Lili Boulanger composition prize, followe ...

, Régis Renouard-Larivière, Bernard de Vienne and Patrick Andrey, for example. He is also the author of several studies published in various journals and of an important theoretical book entitled: ''De Schönberg à Cage'',''De Schöenberg à Cage''
on WorldCat published in Paris by Klincksieck Editions and, in collaboration with

Nicolas Zourabichvili Nicolas Zourabichvili (born 24 October 1936) is a French composer of Georgian origin. Biography Born in Paris, Zourabichvili began piano studies at the Bordeaux conservatory. He studied composition with Nadia Boulanger (1959–1962) and with ...

, of a translation and critical edition of the ''Correspondance de Moussorgski'' (

Fayard Fayard (complete name: ''Librairie Arthème Fayard'') is a French Paris-based publishing house established in 1857. Fayard is controlled by Hachette Livre. In 1999, Éditions Pauvert became part of Fayard. Claude Durand was director of Fayard ...

). Bayer died from cancer in Paris at age 65.

Discography

* ''Propositions I à VIII'', ensembles vocal et instrumentaux,

Les Percussions de Strasbourg Les Percussions de Strasbourg is a contemporary classical music percussion ensemble made up of six percussionists. Founded in 1962, the ensemble is still performing and commissioning music. The current lineup has played together for 15 years. Thei ...

, dir. Jean-Louis Forestier,

Erato Records Erato Records is a record label founded in 1953 as Disques Erato by Philippe Loury to promote French classical music. Loury was head of éditions musicales Costallat. His first releases in France were licensed from the Haydn Society of Boston, a ...

, 1990 * ''Cinq Essais'', with Jean-Louis Haguenauer, piano, Renaud François, flute; Alain Meunier, cello; ''Épisode'', Ensemble Tétra, with Madalena Soveral, piano; Christian Hamouy and Georges Van Gucht, percussions, ''Perspectives'', Alain Meunier, cello; éditions Pierre Vérany, 1996.

References

External links

Francis Bayer
*
Francis Bayer ... Propositions I
(YouTube) {{DEFAULTSORT:Bayer, Francis 1938 births 2004 deaths People from Calvados (department) 20th-century French composers French male composers 20th-century French musicologists École Normale de Musique de Paris alumni French music educators Deaths from cancer in France 20th-century French male musicians