(Music and Literature) 1st Edition
by Caroline Rae (Editor)
This first book in English on the
French composer André Jolivet (1905–1974) investigates his music, life
and influence. A pupil of Varèse and colleague of Messiaen in La Jeune
France, Jolivet is a major figure in French music of the twentieth
century. His music combines innovative language with spirituality,
summarised in his self-declared axiom to ‘restore music’s ancient
original meaning when it was the magic and incantatory expression of the
sacred in human communities’. The book’s contextual introduction is
followed by contributions, edited by Caroline Rae, from leading
international scholars including the composer’s daughter Christine
Jolivet-Erlih. These assess Jolivet’s output and activities from the
1920s through to his last works, exploring creative process, aesthetic,
his relationship with the exotic and influences from literature. They
also examine, for the first time, the significance of Jolivet’s
involvement with the visual arts and his activities as conductor,
teacher and critic. A chronology of Jolivet’s life and works with
details of first performances provides valuable overview and reference.
This fascinating and comprehensive volume is an indispensable source for
research into French music and culture of the twentieth century.
