André Jolivet

French composer André Jolivet was born in Paris on 8 August 1905 into an artistic and musical family, and began to paint and play the cello at the age of fourteen. His first composition teacher was the composer and music critic Paul Le Flem. Later, after hearing music by Schoenberg, Jolivet became the only European student of Edgard Varèse.

Along with fellow French composers Yves Baudrier, Jean-Yves Daniel-Lesur and Olivier Messiaen, Jolivet founded La jeune France - a group attempting to establish less abstract, more human music.

André Jolivet died in Paris on 20 December 1974, aged sixty-nine, leaving a wide range of chamber and solo music, vocal and choral music, ballets, operas, keyboard music, orchestral music and concertos.

 

A selection of articles about André Jolivet

Spotlight. A Very Fine Disc - Geoff Pearce enjoys chamber music by contemporary French composer Michel Merlet. '... polished and inspired performances.'

Echoes of Oblivion by Robert McCarney - Four by Four by Five fff

CD Spotlight. Artistic Merit - Music for saxophones, heard by Bill Newman. '... daring and exploratory.'