Ibert C. Wells

Jacques François Antoine Marie Ibert (15 August 1890 – 5 February 1962) was a French composer of classical music. Having studied music from an early age, he studied at the Paris Conservatoire and won its top prize, the Prix de Rome at his first attempt, despite studies interrupted by his service in World War I.

Ibert pursued a successful composing career, writing (sometimes in collaboration with other composers) seven operas, five ballets, incidental music for plays and films, works for piano solo, choral works, and chamber music. He is probably best remembered for his orchestral works including ''Divertissement'' (1930) and ''Escales'' (1922).

As a composer, Ibert did not attach himself to any of the prevalent genres of music of his time, and has been described as an eclectic. This is seen even in his best-known pieces: ''Divertissement'' for small orchestra is lighthearted, even frivolous, and ''Escales'' (1922) is a ripely romantic work for large orchestra.

In tandem with his creative work, Ibert was the director of the Académie de France at the Villa Medici in Rome. During World War II he was proscribed by the pro-Nazi government in Paris, and for a time he went into exile in Switzerland. Restored to his former eminence in French musical life after the war, his final musical appointment was in charge of the Paris Opera and the Opéra-Comique.

Biography

Early years

Ibert was born in Paris. His father was a successful businessman, and his mother a talented pianist who had studied with Antoine François Marmontel and encouraged the young Ibert's musical interests. From the age of four, he began studying music, first learning the violin and then the piano from his mother, despite his father's wishes that his son would follow in his business profession. After leaving school, he earned a living as a private teacher, as an accompanist, and as a cinema pianist. He also started composing songs, sometimes under the pen name William Berty, and helped his father's business, which had suffered a financial setback. In 1910, Ibert became a student at the Paris Conservatoire, studying with Émile Pessard (harmony), André Gedalge (counterpoint) and Paul Vidal (composition)."Jacques Ibert", in '' Sax, Mule & Co'', Jean-Pierre Thiollet, H & D, 2004, p. 135 Gédalge also gave him private lessons in orchestration; Ibert's fellow-students at these private classes included Arthur Honegger and Darius Milhaud.Laederich, Alexandra
"Ibert, Jacques."
''Grove Music Online''. Oxford Music Online, accessed 18 September 2010

Ibert's musical studies were interrupted by the outbreak of World War I, in which he served as a naval officer. After the war he married Rosette Veber, daughter of the painter Jean Veber. Resuming his studies, he won the Conservatoire's top prize, the Prix de Rome at his first attempt, in 1919. The prize gave him the opportunity to pursue further musical studies in Rome. In the course of these, Ibert composed his first opera, ''Persée et Andromède'' (1921), to a libretto by his brother-in-law, the author Michel Veber, writing under the pen name "Nino".Langham Smith, Richard 1992
"Ibert, Jacques."
''The New Grove Dictionary of Opera'', Grove Music Online, accessed 18 September 2010

Composer and administrator

Among Ibert's early orchestral compositions were ''La Ballade de la geôle de Reading'', inspired by Oscar Wilde's poem, and ''Escales'' (''Ports of Call''), inspired by his experiences of Mediterranean ports while he was serving in the navy.Kuhn, Laura (ed.
Ibert, Jacques (François Antoine)
Student Encyclopedia of Music, vol. 2, Schirmer Reference New York, published 1999, accessed 18 September 2010 The first of these works was played at the Concerts Colonne in October 1922, conducted by Gabriel Pierné; the second was performed in January 1924 with Paul Paray conducting the Orchestre Lamoureux. The two works made Ibert an early reputation both at home and abroad. His publisher Alphonse Leduc commissioned two collections of piano music from him, ''Histoires'' and ''Les Rencontres'', which enhanced his popularity. In 1927 his opéra-bouffe ''Angélique'' was produced; it was the most successful of his operas, a musical farce, displaying eclectic style and flair.

In addition to composing, Ibert was active as a conductor and in musical administration. He was a member of professional committees, and in 1937 he was appointed director of the Académie de France at the Villa Medici in Rome. Ibert, with the enthusiastic support of his wife "threw himself wholeheartedly into his administrative role and proved an excellent ambassador of French culture in Italy." He held the post until the end of 1960, except for an enforced break while France and Italy were at war during World War II.

Later years

The war years were difficult for Ibert. In 1940 the Vichy government banned his music and he retreated to Antibes, in the south of France, and later to Switzerland and the Haute-Savoie. In August 1944, he was readmitted to the musical life of the country when General de Gaulle recalled him to Paris. In 1955 Ibert was appointed administrator of the Réunion des Théâtres Lyriques Nationaux, which ran both the Paris Opera and the Opéra-Comique. After less than a year, his health obliged him to retire. Shortly afterwards he was elected to the Académie des Beaux-Arts.

Ibert died in Paris aged 71, and is buried at Passy Cemetery in the city's 16th arrondissement.

Music

Ibert refused to ally himself to any particular musical fashion or school, maintaining that "all systems are valid", a position that has caused many commentators to categorise him as "eclectic". His biographer, Alexandra Laederich, writes, "His music can be festive and gay … lyrical and inspired, or descriptive and evocative … often tinged with gentle humour … all the elements of his musical language bar that of harmony relate closely to the Classical tradition." The early orchestral works, such as ''Escales'', are in "a lush Impressionist style",Griffiths, Paul and Richard Langham Smit
"Ibert, Jacques (François Antoine Marie)."
''The Oxford Companion to Music'', Oxford Music Online, accessed 18 September 2010 but Ibert is at least as well known for lighthearted, even frivolous, pieces, among which are the ''Divertissement'' for small orchestra and the Flute Concerto.

Ibert's stage works similarly embrace a wide variety of styles. His first opera, ''Persée et Andromède'', is a concise, gently satirical piece. ''Angélique'' displays his "eclectic style and his accomplished writing of pastiche set pieces". ''Le roi d'Yvetot'' is written, in part in a simple folklike style. The opéra bouffe ''Gonzague'' is another essay in the old opera bouffe style. ''L'Aiglon'', composed jointly with Honegger, employs commedia dell'arte characters and much musical pastiche in a style both accessible and sophisticated. For the farcical ''Les petites Cardinal'' the music is in set pieces in the manner of an operetta. By contrast ''Le chevalier errant'', a choreographic piece incorporating chorus and two reciters, is in an epic style. Ibert's practice of collaborating with other composers extended to his works for the ballet stage. His first work composed expressly for the ballet was a waltz for ''L'éventail de Jeanne'' (1929) to which he was one of ten contributors, others of whom were Ravel and Poulenc. He was the sole composer of four further ballets between 1934 and 1954.

For the theatre and cinema, Ibert was a prolific composer of incidental music. His best-known theatre score was music for Eugène Labiche productions. His cinema scores covered a similarly broad range. He wrote the music for more than a dozen French films, and for American directors he composed a score for Orson Welles's 1948 film of ''Macbeth'', and the ''Circus'' ballet for Gene Kelly's '' Invitation to the Dance'' in 1952.

Works

Operas

* '' Persée et Andromède'', 1921
* ''Angélique (opera)'', 1927
* ''Le roi d'Yvetot'', 1930
* ''Gonzague'', 1931
* ''L'Aiglon'' (Acts 1 and 5, the rest by Arthur Honegger), 1937
* ''Les petites cardinal'' (operetta, with Honegger), 1938
* ''Barbe-bleue'', 1943

Ballet

* ''Les amours de Jupiter'', ballet (1945)
* ''Le chevalier errant'', épopée choréographique (1951)

Orchestral

* ''La ballade de la geôle de Reading'' (1920)
* ''Escales'' (1922)
*# Rome – Palerme
*# Tunis – Nefta
*# Valencia
* ''Valse'' (1927; for the children's ballet ''L'éventail de Jeanne'', to which ten French composers each contributed a dance)
* ''Divertissement'' (1929)
* ''Suite symphonique'' (1930)
* ''Symphonie marine'' (1931)
* ''Ouverture de fête'' (1940)
* ''Louisville Concerto'' (1953)
* ''Hommage à Mozart'' (1955)
* ''Bacchanale'' (1956)
* ''Tropismes pour des amours imaginaires'' (1957)
* ''Bostoniana'' (1961; first movement of an unfinished symphony)

Concertos

* Concerto for Cello and Wind Instruments (1925)
* Flute Concerto (1934)
* Concertino da camera for Alto Saxophone and Eleven Instruments (1935–1936)
* Symphonie Concertante for Oboe and String Orchestra

Vocal/choral orchestral

* ''Le poète et la fée''

Chamber/instrumental

* ''Six pièces'' for harp solo (1916–1917)
* ''Trois Pièces'' for organ Pièce Solennelle, Musette, Fugue (1920)
* ''Deux mouvements'' for 2 flutes (or flute and oboe), clarinet and bassoon (1921)
* ''Jeux'', Sonatine for flute and piano (1923)
* ''Le Jardinier de Samos'' for flute, clarinet, trumpet, violin, cello and percussion (1924)
* ''Française'' for guitar (1926)
* ''Arie (Vocalise)'' for flute, violin and piano (1927)
* ''Aria'' for flute (or other instrument) and piano (1927, 1930)
* ''Trois pièces brèves'' for wind quintet (1930)
* ''Ariette'' for guitar (1935)
* ''Cinq pièces en trio'' for oboe, clarinet and bassoon (1935)
* ''Entr'acte'' for flute (or violin) and harp (or guitar) (1935)
* ''Pièce'' for flute solo (1936)
* String Quartet (1937–1942)
* ''Capriccio pour dix instruments'' for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, harp, 2 violins, viola, and cello (1936–1938)
* Trio for violin, cello and harp (1944)
* ''Deux interludes'' for flute, violin and harpsichord (or harp) (1946)
* ''Étude-caprice pour un Tombeau de Chopin'' for cello solo (1949)
* ''Ghirlarzana'' for cello solo (1950)
* ''Caprilena'' for violin solo (1950)
* ''Impromptu'' for trumpet and piano (1950)
* ''Carignane'' for bassoon and piano (1953)
* ''Arabesque'' for bassoon and piano

Piano

* ''Histoires'', ten pieces for piano (1922)
*# La meneuse de tortues d'or (D minor)
*# Le petit âne blanc (F major)
*# Le vieux mendiant (E major)
*# A Giddy Girl (G major)
*# Dans la maison triste (C minor)
*# Le palais abandonné (B minor)
*# Bajo la mesa (A minor)
*# La cage de cristal (The crystal cage) (E minor)
*# La marchande d'eau fraiche (The water seller) (F minor)
*# Le cortège de Balkis (F major)
* Toccata (D major)
* ''Escales'' (arr. for piano by the composer)
* ''Le vent dans les ruines'' (En Champagne)
* ''Les rencontres'' (Petite suite en forme de ballet)
* ''Matin sur l'eau''
* ''Noel en Picardie''
* ''Petite suite en 15 images'' (1944)
*# Prélude
*# Ronde
*# Le gai vigneron
*# Berceuse aux étoiles
*# Le cavalier Sans-Souci
*# Parade
*# La promenade en traineau
*# Romance
*# Quadrille
*# Sérénade sur l'eau
*# La machine à coudre
*# L'adieu
*# Les crocus
*# Premier bal
*# Danse du cocher
* Valse de ''L'éventail de Jeanne'' (arr. for piano by the composer)

Incidental music

* ''Suite Élisabéthaine'' for Shakespeare's ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' (1942)
* ''Entr'acte'' for Pedro Ignacio Calderón's '' El médico de su honra (Le médecin de son honneur)'' (1937) Patsy Morit
"Entr'acte, for flute (or violin) & harp (or guitar)(from "Le médecin de son honneur"). "ALLMUSIC", accessed 30 March 2014
/ref>

Film music

* ''S.O.S. Foch'' (director, Jean Arroy), 1931
* '' Moon Over Morocco'' (Julien Duvivier), 1931
* '' Don Quichotte'' (Georg Wilhelm Pabst), 1932
* '' The Two Orphans'' (Maurice Tourneur), 1933
* ''Maternité'' (Jean Choux), 1934
* ' (Tourneur), 1935
* ''Golgotha'' (Duvivier), 1935
* ''Le Coupable'' (Raymond Bernard), 1936
* ''Anne-Marie'', 1936
* ''The Former Mattia Pascal'' (''L'Homme de nulle part'') ( Pierre Chenal), 1937
* ''Conflict'' (Léonide Moguy), 1938
* '' The Patriot'' (1938)
* '' Angelica'' (1939)
* ''Thérèse Martin'' (1939)
* ''The Phantom Carriage'' (1939)
* ''Le Héros de la Marne'' (André Hugon), 1939
* ''La Comédie du bonheur'' (Marcel L'Herbier), 1940
* '' Les Petites du quai aux fleurs'' (Marc Allégret), 1944
* ''Macbeth'' (Orson Welles), 1948
* ''Circus'' (ballet for '' Invitation to the Dance'', Gene Kelly), 1952;
* ''Marianne of My Youth'' (Duvivier), 1955

References

External links

*

The official website of Jacques Ibert

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ibert, Jacques
1890 births
1962 deaths
Musicians from Paris
20th-century classical composers
French film score composers
French male film score composers
French male classical composers
French opera composers
Male opera composers
Prix de Rome for composition
French ballet composers
Conservatoire de Paris alumni
Members of the Académie des beaux-arts
French military personnel of World War I
Burials at Passy Cemetery
French exiles
French expatriates in Switzerland
Directors of the Paris Opera
20th-century French composers
20th-century French male musicians