Jacques François Antoine Marie Ibert (15 August 1890 – 5 February 1962) was a French composer of

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be #Relationship to other music traditions, distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical mu ...

. Having studied music from an early age, he studied at the

Paris Conservatoire The Conservatoire de Paris (), or the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (; CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue Jean Ja ...

and won its top prize, the

Prix de Rome The Prix de Rome () or Grand Prix de Rome was a French scholarship for arts students, initially for painters and sculptors, that was established in 1663 during the reign of Louis XIV of France. Winners were awarded a bursary that allowed them t ...

at his first attempt, despite studies interrupted by his service in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. Ibert pursued a successful composing career, writing (sometimes in collaboration with other composers) seven operas, five ballets, incidental music for plays and films, works for piano solo, choral works, and chamber music. He is probably best remembered for his orchestral works including ''

Divertissement ''Divertissement'' (from the French 'diversion' or 'amusement') is used, in a similar sense to the Italian 'divertimento', for a light piece of music for a small group of players, however the French term has additional meanings. During the 17th an ...

'' (1930) and '' Escales'' (1922). As a composer, Ibert did not attach himself to any of the prevalent genres of music of his time, and has been described as an eclectic. This is seen even in his best-known pieces: ''Divertissement'' for small orchestra is lighthearted, even frivolous, and ''Escales'' (1922) is a ripely romantic work for large orchestra. In tandem with his creative work, Ibert was the director of the Académie de France at the

Villa Medici The Villa Medici () is a sixteenth-century Italian Mannerist villa and an architectural complex with 7-hectare Italian garden, contiguous with the more extensive Borghese gardens, on the Pincian Hill next to Trinità dei Monti in the historic ...

in Rome. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

he was proscribed by the pro-

Nazi Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

government in Paris, and for a time he went into exile in Switzerland. Restored to his former eminence in French musical life after the war, his final musical appointment was in charge of the

Paris Opera The Paris Opera ( ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be kn ...

and the

Opéra-Comique The Opéra-Comique () is a Paris opera company which was founded around 1714 by some of the popular Théâtre de la foire, theatres of the Parisian fairs. In 1762 the company was merged with – and for a time took the name of – its chief riva ...

Biography

Early years

Ibert was born in Paris. His father was a successful businessman, and his mother a talented pianist who had studied with Antoine François Marmontel and encouraged the young Ibert's musical interests. From the age of four, he began studying music, first learning the violin and then the piano from his mother, despite his father's wishes that his son would follow in his business profession. After leaving school, he earned a living as a private teacher, as an accompanist, and as a cinema pianist. He also started composing songs, sometimes under the pen name William Berty, and helped his father's business, which had suffered a financial setback. In 1910, Ibert became a student at the

, studying with

Émile Pessard Émile Louis Fortuné Pessard (29 May 1843 – 10 February 1917) was a French composer. Pessard was born and died in Paris. He studied at the Conservatoire de Paris, where he won 1st prize in Harmony. In 1866 he won the Grand Prix de Rome with ...

(harmony), André Gedalge (counterpoint) and Paul Vidal (composition)."Jacques Ibert", in '' Sax,

Mule The mule is a domestic equine hybrid between a donkey, and a horse. It is the offspring of a male donkey (a jack) and a female horse (a mare). The horse and the donkey are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes; of the two ...

& Co'',

Jean-Pierre Thiollet Jean-Pierre Thiollet (; born 9 December 1956) is a French writer and journalist. He is also affiliated with the European Confederation of Independent Trade Unions, a European trade union. Career Thiollet attended a school in Châtelleraul ...

, H & D, 2004, p. 135 Gédalge also gave him private lessons in orchestration; Ibert's fellow-students at these private classes included

Arthur Honegger Arthur Honegger (; 10 March 1892 – 27 November 1955) was a Swiss-French composer who was born in France and lived a large part of his life in Paris. Honegger was a member of Les Six. For Halbreich, '' Jeanne d'Arc au bûcher'' is "more even ...

and

Darius Milhaud Darius Milhaud (, ; 4 September 1892 – 22 June 1974) was a French composer, conductor, and teacher. He was a member of Les Six—also known as ''The Group of Six''—and one of the most prolific composers of the 20th century. His composition ...

.Laederich, Alexandra
"Ibert, Jacques."
''Grove Music Online''. Oxford Music Online, accessed 18 September 2010 Ibert's musical studies were interrupted by the outbreak of World War I, in which he served as a naval officer. After the war he married Rosette Veber, daughter of the painter Jean Veber. Resuming his studies, he won the Conservatoire's top prize, the

at his first attempt, in 1919. The prize gave him the opportunity to pursue further musical studies in Rome. In the course of these, Ibert composed his first opera, ''Persée et Andromède'' (1921), to a libretto by his brother-in-law, the author Michel Veber, writing under the pen name "Nino".Langham Smith, Richard 1992
"Ibert, Jacques."
''The New Grove Dictionary of Opera'', Grove Music Online, accessed 18 September 2010

Composer and administrator

Among Ibert's early orchestral compositions were ''La Ballade de la geôle de Reading'', inspired by

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Fflahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish author, poet, and playwright. After writing in different literary styles throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular and influential playwright ...

poem Poetry (from the Greek language, Greek word ''poiesis'', "making") is a form of literature, literary art that uses aesthetics, aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meaning (linguistics), meanings in addition to, or in ...

, and '' Escales'' (''Ports of Call''), inspired by his experiences of Mediterranean ports.Kuhn, Laura (ed.
Ibert, Jacques (François Antoine)
Student Encyclopedia of Music, vol. 2, Schirmer Reference New York, published 1999, accessed 18 September 2010 The first of these works was played at the Concerts Colonne in October 1922, conducted by

Gabriel Pierné Henri Constant Gabriel Pierné (16 August 1863 – 17 July 1937) was a French composer, conductor, pianist and organist. Biography Gabriel Pierné was born in Metz. His family moved to Paris, after Metz and part of Lorraine were annexed to Germ ...

; the second was performed in January 1924 with

Paul Paray Paul Marie-Adolphe Charles Paray (French: ɔl paʁɛ 24 May 1886 – 10 October 1979) was a French conductor, organist and composer. After winning France's top musical award, the Prix de Rome, he fought in the First World War and was a prisone ...

conducting the

Orchestre Lamoureux The Orchestre Lamoureux () officially known as the Société des Nouveaux-Concerts and also known as the Concerts Lamoureux) is an orchestral concert society which once gave weekly concerts by its own orchestra, founded in Paris by Charles Lamoure ...

. The two works made Ibert an early reputation both at home and abroad. His publisher Alphonse Leduc commissioned two collections of piano music from him, ''Histoires'' and ''Les Rencontres'', which enhanced his popularity. In 1927 his opéra-bouffe ''Angélique'' was produced; it was the most successful of his operas, a musical farce, displaying eclectic style and flair. In addition to composing, Ibert was active as a conductor and in musical administration. He was a member of professional committees, and in 1937 he was appointed director of the Académie de France at the

in Rome. Ibert, with the enthusiastic support of his wife "threw himself wholeheartedly into his administrative role and proved an excellent ambassador of French culture in Italy." He held the post until the end of 1960, except for an enforced break while France and Italy were at war during World War II.

Later years

The war years were difficult for Ibert. In 1940 the

Vichy government Vichy France (; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was a French rump state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II, established as a result of the French capitulation after the defeat against ...

banned his music and he retreated to

Antibes Antibes (, , ; ) is a seaside city in the Alpes-Maritimes Departments of France, department in Southeastern France. It is located on the French Riviera between Cannes and Nice; its cape, the Cap d'Antibes, along with Cap Ferrat in Saint-Jean-Ca ...

, in the south of France, and later to Switzerland and the

Haute-Savoie Haute-Savoie () is a Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region of Southeastern France, bordering both Switzerland and Italy. Its Prefectures in France, prefecture is Annecy. To the north is Lake Gene ...

. In August 1944, he was readmitted to the musical life of the country when General de Gaulle recalled him to Paris. In 1955 Ibert was appointed administrator of the Réunion des Théâtres Lyriques Nationaux, which ran both the

and the

. After less than a year, his health obliged him to retire. Shortly afterwards he was elected to the

Académie des Beaux-Arts The (; ) is a French learned society based in Paris. It is one of the five academies of the . The current president of the academy (2021) is Alain-Charles Perrot, a French architect. Background The academy was created in 1816 in Paris as a me ...

. Ibert died in Paris aged 71, and is buried at

Passy Cemetery Passy Cemetery () is a small cemetery in Passy, in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, France. History The current cemetery replaced the old cemetery (''l'ancien cimetière communal de Passy'', located on Rue Lekain), which was closed in 1802. ...

in the city's 16th arrondissement. Jacques Ibert tombe

Music

Ibert refused to ally himself to any particular musical fashion or school, maintaining that "all systems are valid", a position that has caused many commentators to categorise him as "eclectic". His biographer Alexandra Laederich writes, "His music can be festive and gay … lyrical and inspired, or descriptive and evocative … often tinged with gentle humour … all the elements of his musical language bar that of harmony relate closely to the Classical tradition." The early orchestral works, such as ''Escales'', are in "a lush Impressionist style",Griffiths, Paul and Richard Langham Smit
"Ibert, Jacques (François Antoine Marie)."
''The Oxford Companion to Music'', Oxford Music Online, accessed 18 September 2010 but Ibert is at least as well known for lighthearted, even frivolous, pieces, among which are the ''

'' for small orchestra and the Flute Concerto. Ibert's stage works similarly embrace a wide variety of styles. His first opera, ''Persée et Andromède'', is a concise, gently satirical piece. ''Angélique'' displays his "eclectic style and his accomplished writing of pastiche set pieces". ''Le roi d'Yvetot'' is written, in part in a simple folklike style. The opéra bouffe ''Gonzague'' is another essay in the old opera bouffe style. '' L'Aiglon'', composed jointly with Honegger, employs

commedia dell'arte Commedia dell'arte was an early form of professional theatre, originating from Theatre of Italy, Italian theatre, that was popular throughout Europe between the 16th and 18th centuries. It was formerly called Italian comedy in English and is a ...

characters and much musical pastiche in a style both accessible and sophisticated. For the farcical ''Les petites Cardinal'' the music is in set pieces in the manner of an operetta. By contrast ''Le chevalier errant'', a choreographic piece incorporating chorus and two reciters, is in an epic style. Ibert's practice of collaborating with other composers extended to his works for the ballet stage. His first work composed expressly for the ballet was a waltz for ''L'éventail de Jeanne'' (1929) to which he was one of ten contributors, others of whom were

Ravel Joseph Maurice Ravel (7 March 1875 – 28 December 1937) was a French composer, pianist and conductor. He is often associated with Impressionism in music, Impressionism along with his elder contemporary Claude Debussy, although both composer ...

and Poulenc. He was the sole composer of four further ballets between 1934 and 1954. For the theatre and cinema, Ibert was a prolific composer of incidental music. His best-known theatre score was music for Eugène Labiche's ''Un chapeau de paille d'Italie'', which Ibert later reworked as the suite ''Divertissement''. Other scores ranged from music for farce to that for

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

productions. His cinema scores covered a similarly broad range. He wrote the music for more than a dozen French films, and for American directors he composed a score for

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American director, actor, writer, producer, and magician who is remembered for his innovative work in film, radio, and theatre. He is among the greatest and most influential film ...

's 1948 film of ''

Macbeth ''The Tragedy of Macbeth'', often shortened to ''Macbeth'' (), is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, estimated to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the physically violent and damaging psychological effects of political ambiti ...

'', and the ''Circus'' ballet for

Gene Kelly Eugene Curran Kelly (August 23, 1912 – February 2, 1996) was an American dancer, actor, singer, director and choreographer. He was known for his energetic and athletic dancing style and sought to create a new form of American dance accessibl ...

's '' Invitation to the Dance'' in 1952.

Works

Operas

* '' Persée et Andromède'' (1921) * '' Angélique'' (1927) * ''Le roi d'Yvetot'' (1930) * ''Gonzague'' (1931) * '' L'Aiglon'' (1937, Acts 1 and 5, the rest by

) * ''Les petites cardinal'' (1938, operetta, with Honegger) * ''Barbe-bleue'' (1943)

Ballets

* ''Les amours de Jupiter'', ballet (1945) * ''Le chevalier errant'', épopée choréographique (1951)

Orchestral

* ''La ballade de la geôle de Reading'' (1920) * ''Escales'' (1922) * ''Féerique'' (1924) * Valse de ''

L'éventail de Jeanne ''Naughty Martine'' or ''The Fan'' (French: ''L'éventail'') is a 1947 French comedy film directed by Emil-Edwin Reinert and starring Dany Robin, Claude Dauphin (actor), Claude Dauphin and Lucien Baroux. The film's sets were designed by the art d ...

'' (1927) * ''Divertissement'' for chamber orchestra (1930) * Suite symphonique ''Paris'' for chamber orchestra (1930) * ''Symphonie marine'' (1931) * ''Ouverture de fête'' (1940) * ''Louisville Concerto'' (1953) * ''Hommage à Mozart'' (1955) * ''Bacchanale'' (1956) * ''Tropismes pour des amours imaginaires'' (1957) * ''Bostoniana'' (1961; first movement of an unfinished symphony)

Concertante

* Concerto for Cello and Wind Instruments (1925) * Flute Concerto (1934) * Concertino da camera for Alto Saxophone and Eleven Instruments (1935–1936) * Symphonie Concertante for Oboe and String Orchestra

Chamber/Instrumental

* ''Six pièces'' for harp solo (1916–1917) * ''Trois Pièces'' for organ Pièce Solennelle, Musette, Fugue (1920) * ''Deux mouvements'' for 2 flutes (or flute and oboe), clarinet and bassoon (1921) * ''Jeux'', Sonatine for flute and piano (1923) * ''Le Jardinier de Samos'' for flute, clarinet, trumpet, violin, cello and percussion (1924) * ''Française'' for guitar (1926) * ''Arie (Vocalise)'' for flute, violin and piano (1927) * ''Aria'' for flute (or other instrument) and piano (1927, 1930) * ''Trois pièces brèves'' for wind quintet (1930) * ''Ariette'' for guitar (1935) * ''Cinq pièces en trio'' for oboe, clarinet and bassoon (1935) * ''Entr'acte'' for flute (or violin) and harp (or guitar) (1935) * ''Pièce'' for flute solo (1936) * String Quartet (1937–1942) * ''Capriccio pour dix instruments'' for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, harp, 2 violins, viola, and cello (1936–1938) * Trio for violin, cello and harp (1944) * ''Deux interludes'' for flute, violin and harpsichord (or harp) (1946) * ''Étude-caprice pour un Tombeau de Chopin'' for cello solo (1949) * ''Ghirlarzana'' for cello solo (1950) * ''Caprilena'' for violin solo (1950) * ''Impromptu'' for trumpet and piano (1950) * ''Carignane'' for bassoon and piano (1953) * ''Arabesque'' for bassoon and piano

Piano

* ''Histoires'', ten pieces for piano (1922) * Toccata (D major) * ''Escales'' (arr. for piano by the composer) * ''Le vent dans les ruines'' (En Champagne) * ''Les rencontres'' (Petite suite en forme de ballet) * ''Matin sur l'eau'' * ''Noel en Picardie'' * ''Petite suite en 15 images'' (1944) * Valse de ''

'' (arr. for piano by the composer)

Vocal/Choral

* ''Le poète et la fée''

Incidental Music

* ''Suite Élisabéthaine'' for Shakespeare's ''

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a Comedy (drama), comedy play written by William Shakespeare in about 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One s ...

'' (1942) * ''Entr'acte'' for Pedro Ignacio Calderón's '' El médico de su honra (Le médecin de son honneur)'' (1937) Patsy Morit
"Entr'acte, for flute (or violin) & harp (or guitar)(from "Le médecin de son honneur"). "ALLMUSIC", accessed 30 March 2014
/ref>

Film Music

* ''S.O.S. Foch'' (director, Jean Arroy), 1931 * '' Moon Over Morocco'' (

Julien Duvivier Julien Duvivier (; 8 October 1896 – 29 October 1967) was a French film director and screenwriter. He was prominent in French cinema in the years 1930–1960. Amongst his most original films, chiefly notable are ''La Bandera (film), La Bandera'', ...

), 1931 * '' Don Quichotte'' (

Georg Wilhelm Pabst Georg Wilhelm Pabst (25 August 1885 – 29 May 1967) was an Austrian film director and screenwriter. He started as an actor and theater director, before becoming one of the most influential German-language filmmakers during the Weimar Republic. ...

), 1932 * '' The Two Orphans'' (

Maurice Tourneur Maurice Félix Thomas (; 2 February 1876 – 4 August 1961), known as Maurice Tourneur (), was a French film director and screenwriter. Life Born Maurice Félix Thomas in the Épinettes district (17th arrondissement of Paris), his father was a w ...

), 1933 * ''

Motherhood A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given childbirth, birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the case ...

'' (

Jean Choux Jean Choux (1887–1946) was a French-Swiss film director, screenwriter and film producer, producer born in Geneva. He was active in French and Italian cinema from the silent era until his death in 1946. Filmography * ''The Vocation of André C ...

), 1934 * '' Justin de Marseille'' (Tourneur), 1935 * ''

Golgotha Calvary ( or ) or Golgotha () was a site immediately outside Jerusalem's walls where, according to Christianity's four canonical gospels, Jesus was crucified. Since at least the early medieval period, it has been a destination for pilgrimage. ...

'' (Duvivier), 1935 * ''Le Coupable'' ( Raymond Bernard), 1936 * ''

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'', 1936 * '' The Former Mattia Pascal'' (''L'Homme de nulle part'') (

Pierre Chenal Pierre Chenal (; 5 December 1904 – 23 December 1990) was a French director and screenwriter who flourished in the 1930s. He was married to Czech-born French film actress Florence Marly from 1937 to 1955. Work Chenal was best known for film noi ...

), 1937 * '' Conflict'' (

Léonide Moguy Léonide Moguy (14 July 1899 – 21 April 1976) was a Ukrainian, French and Italian film director, screenwriter and film editor. Moguy was born Leonid Mohylevskyi () in Odessa, Odesa, Russian Empire in 1899 in a Jewish family. He lived in Soviet ...

), 1938 * '' The Patriot'' (1938) * ''

Angelica ''Angelica'' is a genus of about 90 species of tall Biennial plant, biennial and Perennial plant, perennial herbaceous, herbs in the family Apiaceae, native to temperate and subarctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere, reaching as far north as ...

'' (1939) * ''

Thérèse Martin Therese or Thérèse is a variant of the feminine given name Teresa. It may refer to: Persons Therese * Duchess Therese of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1773–1839), member of the House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz and a Duchess of Mecklenburg * Therese of ...

'' (1939) * ''

The Phantom Carriage ''The Phantom Carriage'' (, literally "The Wagoner") is a 1921 Swedish silent film directed by and starring Victor Sjöström, based on the 1912 novel '' Thy Soul Shall Bear Witness!'' (''Körkarlen'') by Swedish author Selma Lagerlöf. In the ...

'' (1939) * '' Heroes of the Marne'' (

André Hugon André Hugon (17 December 1886 – 22 August 1960) was a French film director, screenwriter and film producer best known for his silent films from 1913 onwards, particularly of the 1920s and into sound. Hugon was born in Algiers in 1886 w ...

), 1939 * '' La Comédie du bonheur'' (

Marcel L'Herbier Marcel L'Herbier (; 23 April 1888 – 26 November 1979) was a French filmmaker who achieved prominence as an avant-garde theorist and imaginative practitioner with a series of silent films in the 1920s. His career as a director continued unti ...

), 1940 * '' Les Petites du quai aux fleurs'' (

Marc Allégret Marc Allégret (22 December 1900 – 3 November 1973) was a French screenwriter, photographer and film director. Biography Born in Basel, Basel-Stadt, Switzerland, he was the elder brother of Yves Allégret. Marc was educated to be a lawyer in ...

), 1944 * ''

'' (

), 1948 * ''Circus'' (ballet for '' Invitation to the Dance'',

), 1952; * '' Marianne of My Youth'' (Duvivier), 1955

References

External links

*
The official website of Jacques Ibert
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ibert, Jacques 1890 births 1962 deaths Composers from Paris 20th-century French classical composers Composers for piano French male film score composers French opera composers French male opera composers Prix de Rome for composition French ballet composers Conservatoire de Paris alumni Members of the Académie des beaux-arts French military personnel of World War I Burials at Passy Cemetery French exiles French expatriates in Switzerland Directors of the Paris Opera 20th-century French male musicians