Michèle Reverdy
Encyclopedia
Michèle Reverdy is a French
composer.
, Egypt
, and began piano lessons at age six. She studied at The Paris Conservatory with Pierre Lantier
for music theory, Norbert Dufourcq for music history, Roger Boutry for harmony, Alain Weber for counterpoint, Marcel Bitsch
for fugue, Claude Ballif
for music analysis and Olivier Messiaen
for composition. After completing her studies she took a position in 1983 teaching music analysis and orchestration at the same school and retired as Professor Emeritus.
Reverdy was a resident of Casa de Velázquez in Madrid
from 1979–1981 and composer-in-residence at the Conservatory of Strasbourg
Musica Festival in 1993. She was a producer at Radio France
from 1978 to 1992, and received a Lifetime Achievement award from Société des auteurs, compositeurs et éditeurs de musique
(SACEM) in 1995. She is the author of two books on Messiaen.
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
composer.
Biography
Michèle Reverdy was born in AlexandriaAlexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, and began piano lessons at age six. She studied at The Paris Conservatory with Pierre Lantier
Pierre Lantier
Pierre Lantier was a composer, pianist, and husband of Paule Maurice. Lantier wrote Sicilienne pour saxophone alto et piano.His compositions also include three for piano and orchestra....
for music theory, Norbert Dufourcq for music history, Roger Boutry for harmony, Alain Weber for counterpoint, Marcel Bitsch
Marcel Bitsch
Marcel Bitsch was a French composer, teacher and analyst. He studied at the Conservatoire de Paris and also was professor of counterpoint there. In his latter years he concentrated on teaching and analysing the music of J. S...
for fugue, Claude Ballif
Claude Ballif
Claude Ballif was a French composer.His music is known as a combination of tonality and serialism - a system that he named metatonality....
for music analysis and Olivier Messiaen
Olivier Messiaen
Olivier Messiaen was a French composer, organist and ornithologist, one of the major composers of the 20th century. His music is rhythmically complex ; harmonically and melodically it is based on modes of limited transposition, which he abstracted from his early compositions and improvisations...
for composition. After completing her studies she took a position in 1983 teaching music analysis and orchestration at the same school and retired as Professor Emeritus.
Reverdy was a resident of Casa de Velázquez in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
from 1979–1981 and composer-in-residence at the Conservatory of Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
Musica Festival in 1993. She was a producer at Radio France
Radio France
Radio France is a French public service radio broadcaster.-Mission:Radio France's two principal missions are:* To create and expand the programming on all of their stations; and...
from 1978 to 1992, and received a Lifetime Achievement award from Société des auteurs, compositeurs et éditeurs de musique
Société des auteurs, compositeurs et éditeurs de musique
Société des auteurs, compositeurs et éditeurs de musique is a French professional association collecting payments of artists’ rights and distributing the rights to the original songwriters, composers and music publishers.-History:...
(SACEM) in 1995. She is the author of two books on Messiaen.
Works
Reverdy has composed over sixty works for orchestra, chamber ensemble and solo instrument. Selected works include:- Tetramorphie (Tetramorph) for viola and percussion (1976)
- Concerto for Orchestra (1994)
- Scenic Railway (1984)
- Am Stram Gram (1997)
- Anacolutha, tribute to Olivier MessiaenOlivier MessiaenOlivier Messiaen was a French composer, organist and ornithologist, one of the major composers of the 20th century. His music is rhythmically complex ; harmonically and melodically it is based on modes of limited transposition, which he abstracted from his early compositions and improvisations...
(2008) - Arcanum (1979)
- Cante Jondo (1974–80)
- Les Jeux de Protée for flute, viola and harp (1984)
- Cyclades (1988)
- Capricho (1990)
- Le Précepteur, opera, libretto Hans-Ulrich Treichel (de), after the play Der HofmeisterThe TutorThe Tutor is an 18th-century German play by Jakob Michael Reinhold Lenz. It has the subtitle "Or The Benefits of a Private Education". In the 20th century, it was adapted by Bertolt Brecht — see The Tutor ....
by Jakob Michael Reinhold LenzJakob Michael Reinhold LenzJakob Michael Reinhold Lenz was a Baltic German writer of the Sturm und Drang movement.-Life:...
, premiered at the second Munich BiennaleMunich BiennaleThe Munich Biennale is an opera festival in the city of Munich. The full German name is Internationales Festival für neues Musiktheater, literally: International Festival for New Music Theater. The biennial festival was created in 1988 by Hans Werner Henze and is held in even-numbered years over...
(1990) - Crossed Paths (1996)
- Chimera (1992)
- Chimère, Concerto for viola and 18 instruments (1994)
- Rencontres for viola solo (1994)
- Five Pieces for cello (2004)
- Harp Concerto (2005)
- Of Irony against the Absurdity of the World (2009)
Discography
Reverdy works have been recorded and issued on CDs, including:- Michele Reverdy - Salabert actuels, Harmonia Mundi
- M.F.A. Musiques Francaises d Aujourd'hui, Harmonia Mundi
- Medee Live, Harmonia Mundi
- Autour de Messiaen, Squires Productions (NY - USA)
- Sappho, ADDA