Jean-Christophe Keck is a French

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 ...

and conductor, born in

Briançon Briançon (, ) is the sole Subprefectures in France, subprefecture of the Hautes-Alpes Departments of France, department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region in Southeastern France. It is the highest city in France at an a ...

, in 1964. He is particularly noted as a specialist in the works of

Jacques Offenbach Jacques Offenbach (, also , , ; 20 June 18195 October 1880) was a German-born French composer, cellist and impresario of the Romantic period. He is remembered for his nearly 100 operettas of the 1850s to the 1870s, and his uncompleted opera '' ...

, and is the director of the complete critical edition in progress, named after both, Offenbach Edition Keck (OEK).Keck, Jean-Christophe. Biographical note in CD 442 8964, Association des Concerts Pasdeloup/Universal, 2007.

Biography

As a child he played tuba in the Briançon town bandUne tranche de Keck? ''Lyre'' #02 Lettre d'information des Musiciens du Louvre, Grenoble, March–April–May 2006, p6-7. and after early studies at the école de musique de Briançon he attended for two years the Conservatoire de Marseille before entering the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique de Paris. There he followed courses in conducting with Jean-Sébastien Bérault, musicology and composition with Pierre Villette, vocal studies (tenor) with

Christiane Eda-Pierre Christiane Eda-Pierre (24 March 1932 – 6 September 2020) was a French coloratura soprano of Martinican origin, Alain Pâris. ''Dictionnaire des interprètes et de l’interprétation musicale au XX siècle.'' Éditions Robert Laffont, Paris, 19 ...

, and piano. He was struck early by a passion for the music of Offenbach, through the TV series ''Les Folies Offenbach'' with

Michel Serrault Michel Serrault (24 January 1928 – 29 July 2007) was a French stage and film actor who appeared from 1954 until 2007 in more than 130 films. Life and career His first professional job was in a touring production in Germany of Molière's '' Les ...

, the recording of ''Belle Hélène'' conducted by

René Leibowitz René Leibowitz (; 17 February 1913 – 29 August 1972) was a Polish, later naturalised French, composer, conductor, music theorist and teacher. He was historically significant in promoting the music of the Second Viennese School in Paris after ...

and that of

Les Contes d'Hoffmann ''The Tales of Hoffmann'' (French: ) is an by Jacques Offenbach. The French libretto was written by Jules Barbier, based on three short stories by E. T. A. Hoffmann, who is the protagonist of the story. It was Offenbach's final work; he died ...

conducted by Pierre-Michel Le Conte, with

Heinz Rehfuss Heinz Julius Rehfuss (25 May 1917 – 27 June 1988) was a Swiss operatic bass-baritone, who later became an American citizen. He was particularly associated with the title roles in '' Don Giovanni'' and '' Boris Godunov'', and Golaud in '' Pelléa ...

. He also singles out conductors Jules Gressier, Marcel Cariven and Jean Doussard who managed to create miracles of music under difficult conditions. Alongside a singing career, in which he was engaged at the (

Opéra Bastille The Opéra Bastille (, "Bastille Opera House") is a modern opera house in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, France. Inaugurated in 1989 as part of President François Mitterrand's '' Grands Travaux'', it became the main facility of the Paris N ...

, Festival d'Aix-en-Provence,

Opéra de Lyon This is a glossary list of opera genres, giving alternative names. "Opera" is an Italian word (short for "opera in musica"); it was not at first ''commonly'' used in Italy (or in other countries) to refer to the genre of particular works. Most c ...

), he also began to conduct. He was involved in film, radio and television including some of his own compositions. He is the musical director of Pro 05, the chamber orchestra of the

Hautes-Alpes Hautes-Alpes (; oc, Auts Aups; en, Upper Alps) is a department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of Southeastern France. It is located in the heart of the French Alps, after which it is named. Hautes-Alpes had a population of 141,220 ...

, as well as the Festival lyrique des châteaux de

Bruniquel Bruniquel (; Languedocien: ''Borniquèl'') is a commune in the Tarn-et-Garonne department in the Occitanie region in southern France. Geography The tiny fortified village of 561 inhabitants is at an altitude of by the river Aveyron. The river V ...

(

Tarn-et-Garonne Tarn-et-Garonne (; oc, Tarn e Garona ) is a department in the Occitania region in Southern France. It is traversed by the rivers Tarn and Garonne, from which it takes its name. The area was originally part of the former provinces of Quercy and ...

). Since 2004, he has directed the Offenbach concerts of the Orchestre des Concerts Pasdeloup. In April 2012 he conducted '' Ba-ta-clan'' and ''

Mesdames de la Halle ''Mesdames de la Halle'' is an opérette bouffe in one act by Jacques Offenbach, with a libretto by Armand Lapointe. It was first performed at the Théâtre des Bouffes Parisiens, Paris on 3 March 1858. and was the first work of Offenbach's at t ...

'' for the Academy of Music Hanns Eisler Berlin. For some years Jean-Christophe Keck has been leading the work to create a critical edition of all the works of Offenbach. The Offenbach Edition Keck is being published by

Boosey & Hawkes Boosey & Hawkes is a British music publisher purported to be the largest specialist classical music publisher in the world. Until 2003, it was also a major manufacturer of brass, string and woodwind musical instruments. Formed in 1930 throu ...

. Already Keck's editions of ''

La Périchole ''La Périchole'' () is an opéra bouffe in three acts by Jacques Offenbach. Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy wrote the French libretto based on the 1829 one act play '' Le carrosse du Saint-Sacrement'' by Prosper Mérimée, which was revived o ...

'', ''

La Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein ''La Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein'' (''The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein'') is an opéra bouffe (a form of operetta), in three acts and four tableaux by Jacques Offenbach to an original French libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy. The s ...

'', '' La Vie parisienne'' and ''

Les Brigands ''Les brigands'' (''The Bandits'') is an opéra bouffe, or operetta, by Jacques Offenbach to a French libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy. Meilhac and Halévy's libretto lampoons both serious drama (Schiller's play ''The Robbers'') ...

'' have been successfully performed. His edition of the 1858 version of ''

Orphée aux enfers ''Orpheus in the Underworld'' and ''Orpheus in Hell'' are English names for (), a comic opera with music by Jacques Offenbach and words by Hector Crémieux and Ludovic Halévy. It was first performed as a two-act "opéra bouffon" at the Théâ ...

'' has been highly praised. His researches have led him to acquire many important related documents and manuscripts. In a 2013 article he predicted that the edition OEK would when complete comprise 43 volumes, although he added "that won't be in my lifetime". In 2002 the Festival de Radio-France Montpellier saw the recreation of Offenbach's grand opéra romantique '' Les Fées du Rhin'' in Keck's edition. The revival of this important work won various prizes including the Prix Michel Garcin of the Académie du disque lyrique. The Opéra-Théâtre de

Metz Metz ( , , lat, Divodurum Mediomatricorum, then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers. Metz is the prefecture of the Moselle department and the seat of the parliament of the Grand E ...

created his opéra-bouffe ''Monsieur de Chimpanzé'' on a libretto by

Jules Verne Jules Gabriel Verne (;''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary''. ; 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French novelist, poet, and playwright. His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the ''Voyages extraor ...

in November 2005, conducted by Dominique Trottein. Although a work set to the libretto had been premiered at the Bouffes-Parisiens in 1858, the music had been lost, and Keck composed an entirely new score.Lorraine - Opéra-Théâtre de Metz. '' Diapason Saison 2005-2006 Guide des Opéras'', p35-36. Keck is also a producer and presenter for

France Musique France Musique is a French national public radio channel owned and operated by Radio France. It is devoted to the broadcasting of music, both live and recorded, with particular emphasis on European classical music, classical music and jazz. Hist ...

Discography

;as conductor *''Ballade Symphonique'', Orchestre national de Montpellier, Accord, 2005 *''

Le Financier et le Savetier ''Le financier et le savetier'' (The financier and the cobbler) is a one-act opérette bouffe of 1856 with words by Hector Crémieux and Edmond About, and music by Jacques Offenbach, based on the poem by La Fontaine. In 1842 Offenbach had set '' T ...

, et autre délices'', Orchestre des Concerts Pasdeloup, Accord, 2007 ;as musicologist *''Les Fées du Rhin'' with the Orchestre national de Montpellier,

Friedemann Layer Friedemann Layer (30 October 1941 – 3 November 2019) was an Austrian conductor. He was assistant to Herbert von Karajan in Ulm and to Karl Böhm. In 1989, he conducted a film version of ''Der Schauspieldirektor'', with Zdzisława Donat and Chri ...

(conductor), Accord, 2003 *''La Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein'' with Felicity Lott, Yann Beuron and

François Le Roux François Le Roux (born 30 October 1955) is a French baritone. Le Roux began vocal studies at 19 with François Loup, winning prizes in Barcelona and Rio de Janeiro. He was a member of the Lyon Opera Company from 1980 to 1985, before appearing in ...

; Marc Minkowski (conductor), Virgin Classics, 2005 *''Concerto pour violoncelle et orchestre « Concerto militaire »'' with

Jérôme Pernoo Jérôme Pernoo (born 1972) is a French contemporary cellist. Biography Jérôme Pernoo learned to play the cello with Germaine Fleury then Xavier Gagnepain. After his studies at the Conservatoire de Paris with Philippe Muller, he obtained t ...

; Marc Minkowski (conductor), Archiv Produktion, 2006

References

External links

OEK site
critical edition of the complete works of Offenbach {{DEFAULTSORT:Keck, Jean Christophe 1964 births Living people People from Briançon 20th-century French musicologists 21st-century French musicologists French male conductors (music) Conservatoire de Paris alumni Radio France people 21st-century French conductors (music) 21st-century French male musicians