Jacques Ibert

Jacques François Antoine Ibert (August 15, 1890 – February 5, 1962) was a French composer of classical music.

Life and importance

He studied under Paul Vidal at the Paris Conservatoire and won the Prix de Rome in 1919 for his cantata "Le poète et la fée". From 1937 he was director of the French Academy in Rome, and from 1955 to 1957 directed Paris's Opéra-Comique. He died in Paris.

Ibert's music is considered to be typically quite "light" in character, often witty, colourfully orchestrated with attractive melodies. Although he was not a member of Les Six, his music shares some characteristics with theirs. His best known work is probably the orchestral "Divertissement" (1930), based on his incidental music for Eugène Labiche's play, "Un Chapeau de paille d'Italie" (The Italian Straw Hat). In the course of the work he comically quotes many pieces, including Mendelssohn's Wedding March. Other prominent pieces include "Escales" (1924) for orchestra, the symphonic poem "La Ballade de la geôle de Reading" (based on the poem by Oscar Wilde), his concerto for flute and Concertino da Camera for saxophone and "Histoires" for solo piano. He composed a number of operas, such as "L'Aiglon" (The Eaglet), and the operetta "Les Petites Cardinal", some together with Arthur Honegger. Among his film scores is the one for Orson Welles' version of "Macbeth" (1948). In 1956 he wrote the work "Bacchanale" to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the BBC Third Programme. Its premiere was given by Eugene Goossens.

Works

Operas

* "Persée et Andromède", 1929
* "Angélique", 1927
* "Le Roi d'Yvetot", 1930
* "Gonzague", 1931
* "L'Aiglon" (Acts 1 and 5, the rest by Arthur Honegger), 1937
* "Les Petites Cardinal" (operetta, with Arthur Honegger), 1938
* "Barbe-bleue", 1943

Orchestral

*"Escales" (1924)
* "Valse" (1927; for the children's ballet "L'Éventail de Jeanne", to which ten French composers each contributed a dance)
*"Bacchanale"
*"Divertissement"
*"Ouverture de fete"
*"Symphonie marine"
*"La Ballade de la geôle de Reading"

Concertos

*Flute Concerto, (1934)
*Concertino da Camera for Alto Saxophone
*Concerto pour Hautbois

Vocal/Choral Orchestral

*"Le poète et la fée"

Chamber/Instrumental

*"Histoires", for piano
*"Pièce", for flute solo (1936)
*"Trois pièces brèves", for wind quintet

Film music

* "Invitation to the Dance", (1956)
* "Macbeth", (1948)
* "Panique", (1946)
* "Feu Mathias Pascal", (1937)
* "Golgotha", (1935)
* "Maternite", (1934)
* "Les Cinq Gentlemen Maudits", (1933)
* "Don Quixote", (1933)
* "Un Chapeau de Paille d'Italie", (1927)

Media