Luc Ferrari

Lucien Ferrari (5 February 1929 – 22 August 2005) was a French composer and pioneer in musique concrète and electroacoustic music. He was a founding member of RTF's Groupe de Recherches Musicales (GRMC), working alongside composers such as Pierre Schaeffer and Pierre Henry.

Biography Ferrari was born in Paris and was trained in music at a very young age. He studied the piano under Alfred Cortot, musical analysis under Olivier Messiaen, and composition under Arthur Honegger. His first works were freely atonal. A case of tuberculosis in his youth interrupted his career as a pianist. From then on, he mostly concentrated on musical composition. During this illness, he had the opportunity to become acquainted with the radio receiver, and with pioneers such as Schönberg, Berg, and Webern.

In 1954, Ferrari went to the United States to meet Edgard Varèse, whose Déserts he had heard on the radio, and had impressed him. This seems to have had a great effect on him, with the tape part in Déserts serving as inspiration for Ferrari to use magnetic tape in his own music. In 1958, he co-founded the Groupe de Recherches Musicales with Pierre Schaeffer and François-Bernard Mâche. He taught in institutions around the world, and worked for film, theatre and radio. By the early 1960s, Ferrari had begun work on his Hétérozygote, a piece for magnetic tape which uses ambient environmental sounds to suggest a dramatic narrative. The use of ambient recordings was to become a distinctive part of Ferrari's musical language.

Ferrari's Presque rien No. 1 'Le Lever du jour au bord de la mer (1970) is regarded as a classic of its kind. In it, Ferrari takes a day-long recording of environmental sounds at a Yugoslavian beach and, through editing, makes a piece that lasts just twenty-one minutes. It has been seen as an affirmation of John Cage's idea that music is always going on all around us, and if only we were to stop to listen to it, we would realise this. Ferrari continued to write purely instrumental music as well as his tape pieces. He also made a number of documentary films on contemporary composers in rehearsal, including Olivier Messiaen and Karlheinz Stockhausen.

Ferrari died in Arezzo, Italy, on 22 August 2005, at age 76.

Discography

Acousmatrix Petite symphonie intuitive pour un paysage de printemps (1973–74) Strathoven (1985) Presque rien avec filles (1989) Hétérozygote (1963–64) BVHAAST 9009 Acousmatrix 3 – 1990

Unheimlich schön Unheimlich schön (1971) Coll. Cinéma pour l'oreille Metamkine MKCD008 1993

L'Escalier des aveugles Patajaslotcha (1984) L'Escalier des aveugles (1991) Xavier Legasa / Donatienne Michel-Dansac / Michel Musseau (song) Ensemble Le Banquet, Dir. Olivier Dejours Ina-grm ina c 2008/Musidisc 201302 – 1993

Presque rien Music promenade (1964–69) Presque rien No.1 – le lever du jour au bord de la mer (1967–70) Presque rien No.2 – ainsi continue la nuit dans ma tête multiple (1977) Presque rien avec filles (1989) Ina-grm 245172 – 1995

Piano-piano Suite pour piano (1952) Antisonate (1953) Suite hétéroclite (1955) Visage I (1956) Fragments du journal intime (1980–82) Comme une fantaisie dite des réminiscences (1989–91) Christine Lagniel / Michel Maurer (Piano) Auvidis Montaigne MO 782110 – 1997

Cellule 75 Cellule 75 (1975) Place des Abbesses (1977) Chris Brown (Piano), William Winant (Perc.) Tzadik USA – TZ 7033 – 1997

Interrupteur / Tautologos III Interrupteur (1967) Tautologos III (1970) Ensemble de musique vontemporaine de Paris, Dir. Konstantin Simonovitch Blue Chopsticks USA BC1, distrib. France : Chronowax – 1999

Chansons pour le corps – Et si tout entière maintenant Chansons pour le corps Elise Caron (Song), Carol Mundinger / Sylvain Frydman (Clar.), Christine Lagniel (Perc.), Michel Maurer (Piano.), Michel Musseau (Synthesizer) Et si tout entière maintenant (1986–87) Symphonic story. (Prix Italia 1987) – Text by Colette Fellous Anne Sée (Voice), Nouvel Orchestre Philharmonique, Dir. Yves Prin. Mode Records USA MODE 81 – 1999

Danses Organiques cinéma pour l'oreille Danses organiques (1971–73) Elica mpo-3340 – 1999 vinyle LP Elica 4VL 3704 – 2003

Far-West news Far-West news episode No.1 (1998–99) Histoire du plaisir et de la désolation (1979–81) Nouvel orchestre de France, Dir. Michael Luig.

Cycle des souvenirs – Exploitation des concepts No.2 Cycle des souvenirs – Exploitation des concepts No.2 (1995–2000) Blue Chopsticks USA BC8, distrib. France : Chronowax – 2002

Tautologos and other early electronic works Étude aux accidents (1958) Étude aux sons tendus (1958) Visage V (1958/59) Tête et queue du dragon (1959–60) Tautologos I (1961) Tautologos II (1961) Und so weiter for piano and tape (1965–66) (works from 1959 to 1966) EMF and GRM Gérard Frémy (piano) EMF CD 037 – 2003

Comedia dell'amore 224 (1992) Performers and composers : Jean-Jacques Birgé, Francis Gorgé, Bernard Vitet and Luc Ferrari Un Drame musical instantané "Opération Blow up" GRRR 2020 – distrib. France : Orkhêstra / Les Allumés du Jazz – 1992

Impro-micro-acoustique (2001) Performers and composers : Noël Akchoté, Roland Auzet and Luc Ferrari Blue Chopsticks, USA BC12 – distrib. France : Chronowax – 2004

Collection Collection de petites pièces ou 36 Enfilades pour piano et magnétophone (1985) Jeu du hasard et de la détermination (1999) Michel Maurer (Piano.), Françoise Rivalland (Perc.). Les empreintes digitales, France – distribution Abeille Musique (Nocturne) ED13171 – 2004

Les Anecdotiques Les Anecdotiques – Exploitation des Concepts No.6 (2002) SUB ROSA SR 207 – 2004 Grand Prix 2005 Charles Cros in Memoriam

Archives sauvées des eaux Archives sauvées des eaux – Exploitation des concepts No.1 (2000) Version for plastic, Milan 2004. By Luc Ferrari and Erikm Angle Records, Italie CD 0008 – 2004 Grand Prix 2005 Charles Cros in memoriam

Son mémorisé Presque Rien No.4 (1990–98) Promenade symphonique dans un paysage musical ou Un jour de fête à El Oued en 1976 : (1976–78) Saliceburry cocktail (2002) Sub Rosa, SR252 – 2006

Far-West news episodes 2 and 3 Far-West news episodes 2 (May 1999) Far-West news episodes 3 (June 1999) Blue Chopsticks BC16 CD September 2006

Et tournent les sons Et tournent les Sons dans la Garrigue – Réflexion sur l'écriture No.1 (1977) Archives sauvées des eaux – Exploitation des concepts No.3 (2000) By the Ensemble Laborintus and Erikm Césaré 06/03/4/2/1 France septembre 2006. Distr. Metamkine

Les ProtoRythmiques Les ProtoRythmiques (2007) EriKm (Luc Ferrari) and Thomas Lehn Room40 RM417/ May 2007

Didascalies Rencontres fortuites (2003) for viola, piano and memorized sounds. Didascalies (2004) for viola and piano Tautologos III (1969) By Vincent Royer and Jean-Philippe Collard-Neven Luc Ferrari facing his tautology – 2 days before the end, a film by Guy Marc Hinant and Dominique Lohlé Sub Rosa SR261 luc ferrari "didascalies" / cd+ dvd / May 2007

Sonopsys Passage pour mimes (1959) J'ai été coupé (1960–69) Selbstportrait oder Peinture de sons ou bien Tonmalerei (1996–97) Sonopsys 4 – Cahiers musique concrète/acousmatique. May 2007

in OHM: The Early Gurus of Electronic Music / 1943 – 1980 Music Promenade (1969) Ellipsis arts...... EA500-4 USA

in Asia – Trio d'argent Madame de Shanghaï (1996) Michel Boizot / François Daudin Clavaud / Xavier Saint-Bonnet (Flutes) Musique d'Aujourd'hui 9701 MDA M7 847 – 1997

in An anthology of noise & electronic music / vol. #2 Visage V (1958–59) Sub Rosa SR200 – 2003

in Early modulations : vintage volts Tête et queue du dragon (1959–60) Caipirinha CP219 USA – 2000

in Archives GRM – CD 2/5 Étude aux sons tendus (1958) Étude floue (1958) Étude aux accidents (1958) Ina c 1032(2004) ADD – 750 – 276522

Chantal, or the portrait of a villager (1977–78) stereo tape. in collaboration with Brunhild Meyer. Digital on-line edition 2008 Room 40

Archives Génétiquement Modifiées (2000) – mémorized sound Société II (1967) for four soloists and sixteen instruments (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, 4 violins, 2 violas, 2 violoncellos, 1 contrabass. Soloists: 1 piano, 3 percussions.) recording from 1968 by the EIMCP dir. Konstantin Simonovich. Robot Records, USA

À la recherche du rythme perdu for piano and memorized sound. by Wilhem Latchoumia In Wilhem Latchoumia – piano & electronic sounds Sisyphe 013

Madame de Shanghaï (1996) for 3 flutes and memorized sound In Manuel Zurria repeat ! Die Schachtel, Zeit C01

Archives sauvées des eaux – Luc Ferrari with Otomo Yoshihide. Bonus-track (CD extra) for the first 2000 copies : « Slow landing » Luc Ferrari with Otomo Yoshihide, Camera: Miyaoka Hideyuki and Nishihara Tazz Miyaoka Disc Callithump CPCD-001

Labyrinthe de violence Danse LP Alga Marghen Disque vinyle PLANA-F alga027 – 2009

Sexolidad (1982–83) Dialogue Ordinaire avec la Machine (1984) Elica mpo-4301 – 2009

INA-GRM Box (2009) in partnership with , contains 10 CD Luc Ferrari’s works for memorized sound as well as film music.

Chantal (2009) stereo tape (1977–78) in collaboration with Brunhild Meyer. Ohm/Avatar – ohm 051

DIDASCALIES 2 ou Trois en quête de notes (2005) For two pianos and a third very strong instrument capable to uphold a very strong note. Claude Berset and Jean-Philippe Collard-Neven, piano – Vincent Royer, viola Recorded at La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland Vinyl disc Sub rosa SRV 305- April 2010

TRANQUILLES IMPATIENCES (2010) by Brunhild Ferrari recomposing tapes from Luc Ferrari called "Exercices d'Improvisation” vinyle disc ALGA MARGHEN – 2010 – plana-MF alga028

EPHÉMÈRE I & II (1974) for tape and undetermined instrumentation éphémère I – L'ordinateur ça sert à quoi ? Nov. 1974 éphémère II – Lyon 75 Nov. 1975 ALGA MARGHEN plana f. 33 NMN 081 – 2010

EXERCICES D'IMPROVISATION (1977) Suite of exercices (5 to 7 min. each) – can be individual or collective improvisation for any instrument or instrument group (maximum 8). They are intended for amateurs, professionals or students and may take place in concerts. By Gol and Brunhild Ferrari Vinyl disc ALGA MARGHEN planam 5 (it) – 2010

PIANO & PERCUSSION WORKS Satoko Inoue piano & Toshiyuki Matsukura percussion CONVERSATION INTIME (October 1987 – March 1988) 19:33 for piano and percussion VISAGE I (1956) 7:21 for piano SONATINE ELYB POUR PIANO (1953–54) – 7 :44 for piano CELLULE 75 – FORCE DU RYTHME ET CADENCE FORCEE (May – November 1975) 32:45 for piano, percussions and tape Recorded in 2004 – Hat(now)ART 165 – Jan. 2011 – harmonia mundi

LUC FERRARI " Madame de Shanghai " – " Après Presque Rien " – " Visage 2 " VISAGE 2 (1955–56) – 10'02 APRES PRESQUE RIEN (2004) – 31'47 (commissioned by Art Zoyd, Musiques Nouvelles and CCMIX) MADAME DE SHANGHAI (1996) – 15'22 By the Scottish Flute Trio and Ensemble Musiques Nouvelles, cond. Jean-Paul Dessy Mode 228 – Feb. 2011

VISITATION (1 avril 2011) – 25'23 eRikm & Luc Ferrari – The night bird, Cap 15 and night bird, Tuchan, in Presque Rien N0 2 Vinyle disc Alga Marghen Planam 18 (it) – 2011

Souvenir, Souvenir SUITE (1952) SUITE HÉTÉROCLITE SONATINE ELYB VISAGE I COLLECTION DE PETITES PIÈCES OU 36 ENFILADES POUR PIANO ET MAGNÉTOPHONE piano : Elmar Schrammel – WERGO 67372

JETZT ou PROBABLEMENT MON QUOTIDIEN IL EST LA, DANS LA CONFUSION DES LIEUX ET DES MOMENTS – Hörspiel 1982 – 1 h. 45' Radio composition for Hessischer Rundfunk. .

Ferrari (r)écouté new compositions with sound material of Ferrari's JETZT tapes from: Tiziana Bertoncini – Antje Vowinckel – Frank Niehusmann – David Fenech – Neele Hülcker

COMPOSER LA RADIO – DAS RADIO KOMPONIEREN excerpts from a radio conférence with Luc Ferrari (2000) produced by ZKM, Karlsruhe and WERGO. – WERGO ZKM milestones 2066.2 – 2011

PROGRAMME COMMUN Luc + Brunhild Ferrari Double CD

Luc Ferrari: MUSIQUE SOCIALISTE, or PROGRAMME COMMUN POUR CLAVECIN ET BANDE MAGNETIQUE – (1972) harpsichord: Elisabeth Chojnacka

DIDASCALIES 2 – (2005) for 2 pianos and a third very powerful instrument that can hold a very loud note : viola Jean-Philippe Collard-Neven et Claude Berset : piano. Vincent Royer : viola

LES EMOIS D’APHRODITE – (1986) Version 1998 for clarinet, piano, percussion, 2 samplers and memorized sound by the ensemble MC BAND, dir. Mary Chun, San Francisco

Brunhild Ferrari – electroacoustic, with sounds from Luc Ferrari : DERIVATIF – (2008) BRUMES DU REVEIL – (2009) TRANQUILLES IMPATIENCES – (2010) Sub Rosa SR363 AB – www.SUBROSA.NET

LUC FERRARI « PRESQUE RIEN » double vinyl discs PRESQUE RIEN No.1 PRESQUE RIEN No. 2 PRESQUE RIEN AVEC FILLES PRESQUE RIEN No. 4 – La remontée du Village Recollectio GRM 2012 – REGRM 005 et éditions MEGO – INA GRM

L. FERRARI UND SO WEITER for electric piano and tape Gérard Frémy, Piano MUSIC PROMENADE original mix re-issue of the vinyl disc by WERGO from 1969 – WER 67752 – 2012

CD and DVD releases

Didascalies Rencontres Fortuites (2003) pour alto, piano et SM. Didascalies (2004) pour alto et piano Tautologos 3 (1969) by Vincent Royer, viola and Jean-Philippe Collard-Neven, piano + DVD Luc Ferrari face à sa tautologie – 2 jours avant la fin Film by Guy-Marc Hinant and Dominique Lohlé French version, with English sub-titles, recorded while the rehearsal of Tautologos III. "that would be Luc’s last one in this beginning of July 2005. Sub Rosa SR261 luc ferrari "didascalies" / cd+ dvd / mai 2007

This Box was rewarded with the « Coup de Coeur Charles Cros – musique contemporaine printemps 2008 » and the Grand Prix from the festival "Filmer à tout prix", Brussels in 2008

Presque rien avec Luc Ferrari Film by Jacqueline Caux and Olivier Pascal – with Elise Caron – eRikm – Christof Schläger . 2004. ELICA VPO-4290 Robot Records 2008 Forced Exposure; Métamkine, Fr.; Die Schachtel, It.; Mimaroglu Music Sales; Die Stadt, Germ.; A-Musik, Cologne, Germ.; Empreintes Digitales, Montreal Can.; Disk Union, Tokyo, Jap.

Les Archives sauvées des Eaux Luc Ferrari with Otomo Yoshihide. « Slow Landing » Luc Ferrari with Otomo Yoshihide, Camera: Miyaoka Hideyuki and Nishihara Tazz Miyaoka Disc Callithump CPCD-001

Recent book releases Collective book, edited by Brunhild Ferrari : Luc Ferrari complete works, London May 2019, 457 p. . Published par Ecstatic peace library (UK). Presque Rien avec Luc Ferrari book by Jacqueline Caux. Discussion with Luc Ferrari. Editions Main d’œuvre, Nice – January 2001

translation into Japanese by Ryosuke Shiina (Tokyo, 2006) Luc Ferrari to hotondo nanimo nai. Editions Gendaishichô-shinsha (2006), Tokyo, Japan.

translation into English by Jérôme Hansen. Almost Nothing with Luc Ferrari. Editions Errant Bodies (2013)

Sonopsys No. 4 Luc Ferrari Cahiers Musique Concrète / Acousmatique, published by Licences (French – English) – 2007 by Alexandre Yterce and Florence Gonot

Luc Ferrari Portraits Polychromes supplemented edition by GRM / INA – 2007 – [email protected]

The Politics of Presque Rien by Eric Drott in Sound Commitments (Oxford University Press, 2009). P. 145-166. Pdf to download on the website on “bibliography” 2009 page 9

Luc Ferrari in: In the Blink of an Ear: Toward a Non-Cochlear Sonic Art by Seth Kim- Cohen. (Continuum, 2009). "Sound-Out-Of-Itself" p. 175-185. Pdf to download on the website on “bibliography” 2009 page 9

Luc Ferrari in : Silence, les couleurs du prisme & la mécanique du temps qui passe. Les Presque Rien – Et Tournent les sons Dans la Garrique by Daniel Caux Editions de l’Eclat, Paris. Pages 333–337 (2009)

Syntone News and Critique of the Radio-Art the Radio of Luc (and his listeners) Chantal Dumas – François Parra – Irvic Oliver – José Iges – Götz Naleppa – Lucien Bertolina. Contributions collected and conducted by Etienne Noiseau. Edited by Etienne Noiseau

The Bells Angels No. 2 Magazine TBA No 2 July 2010-07-03 containing the score of Monologos (for solo voice and électroacoustic device) – 1970 – as well as Concepts (3 excerpts of Jacqueline Caux’ book: Presque Rien avec Luc Ferrari éditions nuitdencre galerie 64 rue jean-pierre timbaud – 75011 paris

The Bells Angels Magazine TBA No 3 – 2011 10 photoengraving-works by Luc Ferrari