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born in 1935 in Clermont-Ferrand, he had tried his hand
at composition before entering the city’s Conservatory in 1952. In
1955–58 he studied archeology and classical literature at the École
Normale Supérieure in Paris. Having gained his diploma, he began to stu-
dy composition with Olivier Messiaen at the Paris Conservatory. In
1958–63 he was a member of Pierre Schaeffer’s Groupe de
Recherche Musicale (from 1962 as its head). At the same time he lectured in
Greek archeology and later, from 1962 to 1983, in classical philology at
Paris University. In 1980 he received a Ph.D. in musicology. He is the
author of numerous studies, including Musique, Mythe, Nature (3rd edition,
1992) and Entre l’observatoire et l’atelier (1998). He is the
Director for Research at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales.
He has received numerous honours for his artistic achievements, including
the Prix de la Biennale de Paris (1963), the Prix Enesco (awarded by sacem,
1964), the Prix Italia (1977), plus three awards from the French Academy of
Fine Arts: the Prix Chartier (1984), the Prix Rossini (1998), and the Grand
Prix National de la Musique (1988). In 1990 he was decorated with the order
of Commandeur de l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres (1990).
Alongside his research work, he continues to compose, his catalogue
exceeding seventy works.
Selected works: La peau de silence, version for 30
performers (1962), Synergies for 21 instruments and tape (1963), Rituel
d’oubli for 17 wind instruments, three percussions and tape (1969),
Danaé for 12 solo voices and percussion (1970), Korwar for harpsichord
(1972), Ram-baramb for piano, orchestra and tape (1972), Naluan for eight
instruments and tape (1974), Solstices for harpsichord and organ (1974),
Kassandra for nine wind instruments, three percussions, two pianos and tape
(1977), Androm¬de for double choir, three pianos and orchestra (1979),
Anaphores for harpsichord and percussion (1981), Temboctou for nine solo
voices, instrumental ensemble, electronics and tape (1982), Eridan for
string quartet (1986), Uncas for flute, clarinet, percussion, string quartet,
two synthesizers, electronics and tape (1986), Cassiopée for mixed choir
and two percussions (1988), Tempora for three samplers (1988), Khnoum for
sampler and five percussions (1990), Guntur Sari for organ (1990), Maponos
for solo voice (1990; Part 3: Trois chants sacrées), L’Estuaire du
temps for orchestra (1993), Moires for string quartet and synthetic sounds
(1994), Braises for amplified harpsichord and orchestra (1994), Ziggurat for
harpsichord (1998), Ugarit for guitar (1998), Manuel de résurrection for
mezzo-soprano and two samplers with midi keyboard (1998), Brìlis, trio for
clarinet, cello and piano (1999).
Danaé
The myth of Danae has rather little to do with the composition which bears
its name. The piece is not programme music in any sense. Some traces,
however, direct us to the Himalayas. For instance, the specially-designed
drums used in the work are modelled on the Tibetan instruments in the
collection of the Musée de l’Homme. They are played by twelve
soloist-singers. Some fragments were inspired by an original recording from
Kashmir, but the language of the whisper is the product of pure imagination.
The myth, alluded to in the title, can be summarised as follows: Acrisius,
king of Argos, whom an oracle foretold his death at the hand of his own
grandson, tries to evade such a fate by imprisoning his daughter Danae in a
bronze chamber in order to protect her virginity. Zeus, however, visited her
in the form of a shower of gold and she conceived Perseus. Acrisius shut her
and her child in a wooden box and threw it into the Aegean Sea. The box was
cast by the waves onto the shores of an island. In this way, Danae and
Perseus were rescued. After many years, during the Olympiad in Pelasgiotis,
Perseus ‘accidentally’ killed his grandfather with a discus.
Among the thousands of possibilities of bringing this myth alive
I have opted for the sounds which it evoked in me: the distant echo of the
shower of gold reverberating against the bronze walls of the chamber, close
to the sea coast.
I dedicated the piece to Iannis Xenakis. It was premiered on
3 September 1970 in the ruins of the Darius palace in Persepolis, by the
soloists of the ortf Choir and the percussionist Jean-Pierre Drouet, with
Marcel Couraud conducting.
Franæois-Bernard MÈche
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