Jean-Claude Risset

French composer Jean-Claude Risset was born in Le Puy-en-Velay on 18 March 1938. He studied with André Jolivet. He was best known as a computer music pioneer, initially working at Bell Labs in New Jersey, USA, where he recreated the sounds of brass instruments, digitally, and experimented with FM synthesis and waveshaping. He created the Continuous Risset scale (also known as the Shepard-Risset glissando) which appears to increase or decrease in pitch continuously, and a similar rhythmic effect where the tempo seems to increase or decrease endlessly.

He also composed vocal, choral, orchestral and chamber music, plus music for solo instruments (usually with some tape or computer interaction) and music for solo tape.

Jean-Claude Risset died in Marseille on 21 November 2016.

 

 

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