Pierre Wissmer (30 October 1915 – 4 November 1992) was a 20th-century French classical composer of Swiss origin.

Biography

Formed at the Conservatoire de Musique de Genève, he received the advice of

Robert Casadesus Robert Marcel Casadesus (; 7 April 1899 – 19 September 1972) was a renowned 20th-century France, French pianist and composer. He was the most prominent member of a Casadesus, distinguished musical family, being the nephew of Henri Casadesus an ...

before perfecting his mastery of

counterpoint In music theory, counterpoint is the relationship of two or more simultaneous musical lines (also called voices) that are harmonically dependent on each other, yet independent in rhythm and melodic contour. The term originates from the Latin ...

at the Schola Cantorum de Paris with Daniel-Lesur. He also followed the course of conducting of Charles Münch at the

École normale de musique de Paris The École Normale de Musique de Paris "Alfred Cortot" (ENMP) is a leading conservatoire located in the 17th arrondissement of Paris. The school was founded in 1919 by Auguste Mangeot and Alfred Cortot. The term ''école normale'' (English: no ...

. His first piano concerto was created on the radio by Jacqueline Blancard 10 October 1937 under the direction of Henri Tomasi. In 1938, his first symphony was directed in

Winterthur Winterthur (; ) is a city in the canton of Zurich in northern Switzerland. With over 120,000 residents, it is the country's List of cities in Switzerland, sixth-largest city by population, as well as its ninth-largest agglomeration with about 14 ...

by Hermann Scherchen. In 1939, Pierre Wissmer composed ''Le beau dimanche'', one-act

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

on an argument by Pierre Guérin who put him in touch with Stravinski, Poulenc, Sauguet, and Cocteau. In 1944, he was appointed professor of

composition Composition or Compositions may refer to: Arts and literature *Composition (dance), practice and teaching of choreography * Composition (language), in literature and rhetoric, producing a work in spoken tradition and written discourse, to include ...

at Conservatoire de Genève and head of the Department of chamber music at Radio Geneva. In 1948, he married the pianist Laure-Anne Étienne, a student of Marguerite Long at

Conservatoire de Paris 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 ...

. From 1952 to 1957, he was deputy director of programs at

Radio Luxembourg Radio Luxembourg was a multilingual commercial broadcaster in Luxembourg. It is known in most non-English languages as RTL (for Radio Television Luxembourg). The English-language service of Radio Luxembourg began in 1933 as one of the earlies ...

and, from 1957, director of the Schola Cantorum. In 1958 he adopted French citizenship and later was appointed director of the École normale de musique of

Le Mans Le Mans (; ) is a Communes of France, city in Northwestern France on the Sarthe (river), Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the Provinces of France, province of Maine (province), Maine, it is now the capital of ...

(1969–1981). In 1967, he was awarded the Grand Prix musical of the city of Paris. In 1992, he died in Valcros, at age 77 shortly after his wife.

Works

Incidental music

*1945: ''Marion ou la Belle au Tricorne'', radio opera (Geneva, Radio Suisse Romande, 16 April 1947) *1952: ''Capitaine Bruno'',

opéra comique ''Opéra comique'' (; plural: ''opéras comiques'') is a genre of French opera that contains spoken dialogue and arias. It emerged from the popular ''opéras comiques en vaudevilles'' of the Théâtre de la foire, Fair Theatres of St Germain and S ...

(Geneva, 9 November) *1958: ''Léonidas ou la Cruauté mentale'',

opéra bouffe ''Opéra bouffe'' (, plural: ''opéras bouffes'') is a genre of mid- to late 19th-century French operetta, closely associated with Jacques Offenbach, who produced many of them at the Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens, inspiring the genre's name. It ...

(Paris, 12 September) *1939: ''Le Beau Dimanche'',

(Geneva, 20 March 1944) *1963: ''Alerte, puits'', ballet (Geneva, 1964) *1967: ''Christina et les chimères'', ballet (French Television, 7 December 1972)

Orchestral music

* 9 Symphonies (1938, 1951, 1955, 1962, 1969, 1977, 1983/84, 1986, 1988/89) * 3 piano concertos (1937, 1948, 1971) * 3 violin concertos (1942, 1954, 1987) *1937: ''Mouvement'', for string orchestra (Geneva, 25 February 1938) *1938: ''Divertissement sur un choral'' for 11 instruments (Geneva, 8 December 1939) *1943: ''Antoine et Cléopâtre'', suite symphonique (Geneva, 2 October 1946) *1952: ''Mandrellina'', overture (Geneva, 16 April 1952) *1957: Concerto for guitar *1960: Concerto for clarinet *1961: Concerto for trumpet *1963: Concerto for oboe *1966: ''Concerto valcrosiano'' *1966: ''Concertino-Croisière'' for flute, string orchestra and piano *1972: ''Triptyque romand'' *1974: ''Dialogue'' for bassoon (or cello) and orchestra *1982: ''Symphonietta concertante'', for flute, harp and orchestra

Chamber music

* 3 String quartets (1937, 1949, 1972) *1938: Sérénade for oboe, clarinet and bassoon *1941: Sonatine for clarinet and piano *1946: Sonatine for violon and piano *1949: Sonate for piano *1956: Quartet for saxophones *1961: ''Quadrige'' for flute, violin, cello and piano *1962: Sonate for flute and guitar *1964: Quintette à vent *1973: “Réflexions” for organ *1975: ''Variations sur un Noël imaginaire'' for organ (also for orchestra, 1975) *1978: ''Trio adelfiano'', for flute, cello and piano

Vocal music

*1942: ''Naïades'' pour récitant, soloists, choir and orchestra (Geneva, 21 January) *1962: ''Hérétique et relapse'', one-act mystery *1965: ''Le Quatrième Mage'', oratorio (Paris, 14 October 1969) *1971: ''Cantique en l'ounour dou grand saintlouis, rei de franco et patroun de vaucros de cuers'', pour choir with piano or organ *1951: ''Chants de Mars'': 7 chœurs a cappella pour 3 voix d'enfants sur des poésies de René de Obaldia.(Paris 1951)

Selected discography

Pierre Wissmer left a work that is both abundant and diverse with respect to both instrumental music,

chamber music Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of Musical instrument, instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a Great chamber, palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music ...

, concert music and music for symphonic orchestra, vocal or choral music, opera or musical theatre, incidental music, ballets, music for radio or television and

film score A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces called cues, which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to ...

. * ''Trio adelfiano'' for flute, cello and piano/''Quadrige'' for flute, violin, cello and piano, with Geneviève Ibanez (piano), Anne Werner-Fuchs (violin), Frédéric Werner (flute), Jean Barthe and Alex Descharnes (cellos), CD, Marcal Classics, MA 060201 * ''Chanson de l'Orpailler''. Complete works for and with guitar. With Philippe Rayer and Michel Guzard (guitares), CD, Quantum, QM 7016 * ''Askok'' for guitar and recorder. With Patric Ruby (guitar) and Robin Troman (recorder), CD, Quantum, QM 7031 * ''Trois silhouettes''. With Mireille Saumal (piano). CD, Marcal, MA 040302

Bibliography

External links

Official site

*Sound recordings of works of the composer from the archives of

SRG SSR The Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (; ; ; ; SRG SSR) is the Swiss public broadcasting association, founded in 1931, the holding company of 24 radio and television channels. Headquartered in Bern, the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation is a non-pro ...

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Wissmer, Pierre Swiss classical composers French opera composers French male opera composers French ballet composers École Normale de Musique de Paris alumni 1915 births Musicians from Geneva 1992 deaths 20th-century French male musicians Swiss emigrants to France