Gérard PESSON
Born in 1958
Biography
Born in Torteron, in central France, in 1958, Gérard Pesson studied at the Sorbonne, where he obtained his doctorate with a thesis on The Aesthetics of Aleatoric Music. In addition, at the Paris Conservatory, he studied composition with Ivo Malec, orchestration with Marius Constant and analysis with Betsy Jolas. In 1986, he founded a contemporary music publication entitled Entretemps and became a music producer at Radio France. Awarded the Toulouse Studium Prize in 1986, he also won the "Opéra autrement" competition in 1989 with Beau soir. From 1990 to 1992 he was resident at the Villa Médicis, home of the Académie de France in Rome. In 1996, he was awarded the Prince Pierre de Monaco Prize. Since 1988, Gérard Pesson has primarily composed stage music. His works have been played by numerous ensembles and orchestras both in France and abroad: ensembles Fa, 2e2m, Intercontemporain, Itinéraire, Moderna, Recherche, Ictus, Alter Ego, Accroche Note and Erwartung, the National Orchestras of Lyons and Ile-de-France, et al. His opera Forever Valley, commissioned by T&M, with a libretto by Marie Redonnet, was premiered in April 2000 at the Théâtre des Amandiers in Nanterre. His opera Pastorale from L'Astrée by Honoré d'Urfé, was first performed in Stuttgart on May 2006.
Solo works
Ambre nous resterons (2008)
for piano
Butterfly's Note book (1995/98)
for piano
Etudes pour orgue baroque (3) (1998)
Excuse my dust (2009)
for piano
Folies d'Espagne (1997)
for piano
in "Piano 20/21 Vol.1"
La Lumière n'a pas de bras pour nous porter (1994/95)
for piano
Petites études mélancoliques (3) (1991)
for piano
Pièces (3) (2009)
for piano
Vexierbilder II (2003)
for piano
Vexierbilder Rom (1991/95)
for piano
Chamber music
Affûts (2001)
for 4 percussions
Bruissant divisé (1998)
for violin and cello
Cassation (2003)
for clarinet, string trio and piano
Dispositions furtives (1988)
for 2 amplified pianos
Fureur contre informe pour un tombeau d'Anatole (1998)
pour string trio
Gigue (2001)
for 6 percussions
La vita è come l'albero di Natale (1992)
d'après un fragment de Cl. Debussy
for violin and piano
Le Gel, par jeu (1991)
for sextet
Mes béatitudes (1994/95)
for piano, violin, viola and cello
Nebenstück (1998)
d'après la quatrième Ballade Op.10 de Johannes Brahms
for clarinet and string quartet
Neige bagatelle (2002)
for guitar, cello and piano
Nocturnes en quatuor (1987)
for clarinet, violin, cello and piano
Non sapremo mai di questo mi (1991)
d'après un fragment de Mozart
for flute, violin and piano
Peigner le vif (2007)
for viola and accordion
Presque Puzzle (2009)
for string trio and prepared piano
Quatuors à cordes n°1 (1993) Respirez ne respirez plus
for 2 violins, viola and cello
Quatuors à cordes n°2 (2008) Bitume
for 2 violins, viola and cello
Rebus (pro rebus Harry Vogti) (1999)
for flute, clarinet, violin, viola and cello
Récréations françaises (1993/95)
for sextet
Sonate à quatre (1996)
for 2 recorders, violin and cello
Ensemble music
Branle du Poitou (1997)
for piano and 8 instruments
In nomine (2001)
for 8 instruments
Instant tonné (2006)
for ensemble
Les Chants Faëz (1986)
for piano and 11 instruments
Rubato ma glissendo (2008)
for ensemble
Un peu de fièvre (1995)
for 12 instruments
Vocal and choral music
Butterfly le nom (1995)
for soprano, male voices and small orchestra
Chansons (5) (1999)
for mezzo-soprano and 5 instruments
Chants populaires (2008)
for chorus
Contra me (miserere) (2002)
for vocal ensemble and ensemble
Ecrit à Qinzhou (1994)
for actor (or actress) and piano
Forever Valley (1999/00)
opera for 7 soli, actress and 6 instruments
Kein deutscher Himmel (1996/97)
Adagietto from Gustav Mahler 5th Symphony
transcription for mixed chorus
Mélodies carthaginoises (2) (1992)
for baritone and piano
Panorama, particolari e licenza (2006)
for viola, alto and ensemble
Pastorale (2006)
opera for soli, chorus and orchestra
Poèmes de Sandro Penna (5) (1991/92)
for baritone, bass clarinet, horn, violin and cello
Poèmes de Sandro Penna (5) (1991/92)
for baritone and piano
Preuve par la neige (2004)
for chorus
Purple programme (1994)
for soprano, bass clarinet and percussion
Sur-le-champ (1994)
for 4 voices and 8 instruments
Works for orchestra
Aggravations et final (2002)
for orchestra
Berceuses à bas voltage (4) (1998)
for large orchestra
Rescousse (2005)
for orchestra
Wunderblock (Nebenstück II) (2005)
for accordion and orchestra
Discographie
Aggravations et final
Rescousse - Vexierbilder II - Aggravations et final - Cassation - Wunderblock (Nebenstück II)
Teodoro Anzellotti (accordion)
Hermann Kretschmar (piano)
WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln
Lucas Vis (conductor)
Johannes Kalitzke (conductor)
Ensemble Modern
Brad Lubman (conductor)
1 CD aeon AECD 0876
Dispositions furtives
La Lumière n'a pas de bras pour nous porter - Vexierbilder II - Vexierbilder Rom - Butterfly's note book - Pièces pour piano (3) - Petites études mélancoliques (3) - Dispositions furtives - Folies d'Espagne - Musica Ficta - Excuse my dust
Alfonso Alberti (piano)
1 CD Col Legno CD20285
Mes béatitudes
Mes béatitudes - Nebenstück - Fureur contre informe - Récréations françaises - Cinq Chansons - Bruissant divisé - Rebus
Ensemble Recherche
1 CD aeon AECD 0206
Forever Valley
J. Henry
Ensemble vocal et instrumental
V. Leterme
1 CD Assai 222 322
Le Gel par jeu
Cinq poèmes de S. Penna - Nocturnes en Quatuor - Sur-le-champ
Ensemble FA
D. My
Quatuor Parisii
1 CD ACCORD 465 798-2
Passions
Un orgue baroque pour la création
Orgue Jean de Joyeuse (Auch, France)
Jean-Christophe Revel (organ)
Inclus : Etudes pour orgue
1 CD aeon AECD 0420
Bibliography
Cran d'arrêt du beau temps
Journal 1991-1998
Editions Van Dieren (D. Jisse)