Jean Franaix

Composer Jean Franaix (1910-1949) wrote in an accessible,

attractive style that oten le! listeners an! commentators to i"nore
the !epth an! ori"inality present in m#ch o his m#sic$ %is ather
was the !irector o the &e 'ans Conservatory$ %is mother was a
teacher an! choir !irector on its sta$ %e be"an to st#!y piano
when he was o#r$ (eore he was ten he ha! m#sic lessons rom
)si!or *hilipp (piano) an! +a!ia (o#lan"er (harmony,
co#nterpoint, composition)$ %e p#blishe! a composition at the a"e
o ten, *o#r Jac,#eline, a piano s#ite !e!icate! to his baby co#sin$
)n 19-0 he won irst pri.e in piano at the *aris Conservatory$ *ierre
'onte#x premiere! his /ymphony in 19-0$ )n the same year he
wrote his Concertino or *iano 1 2rchestra$ 3he premiere o the
wor4 in 19-4 ma!e Franaix5s rep#tation$ %e ,#ic4ly came into
!eman!$ (allets 6#sses !e 'onte Carlo commissione! a ballet,
/c#ola !i ballo (7ance /chool), choreo"raphe! by &8oni!e
'assine, base! on themes o (occherini$ 9nother ballet, &e 6oi n#
(3he +a4e! :in" or 3he ;mperor5s +ew Clothes), was premiere! by the *aris 2pera in 19-<$ %e
wrote a piano concerto in 19-= an! playe! it on his irst 9merican trip, in 19->$ %e to#re! oten
with cellist 'a#rice ?en!ron, the 3rio *as,#ier, an! later, with his !a#"hter Cla#!e as a piano !#o
partner$
Franaix was also 4nown or his orchestrations o wor4s by Chopin, /ch#bert, Chabrier, an!
'o.art$ *o#lenc re,#este! that Franaix orchestrate &5histoire !e (abar or him$ Franaix
transcribe! many o his own wor4s or the 'ain. @in! ;nsemble$
3he li"ht, witty character o Franaix5s m#sic has ca#se! some to !ismiss it as rivolo#s$ 2thers
have !ecrie! the act that his style remaine! static thro#"ho#t his lie$ )n reality, he ha! o#n! all he
nee!e! an! achieve! his mat#re voice imme!iately$ %is orchestrations are always clear an!
spar4lin", his orms precise an! neo-Classical, his emotions reserve!$ Franaix ha! little #se or the
6omantic esthetic o the composer po#rin" his inner so#l into the m#sic$ )n this, he was primarily
inl#ence! by 6avel$ %owever, he sometimes wrote wor4s o "reat !epth$ %is masterwor4 amon"
this sort o composition is &59pocalypse !e /t Jean, written in 19-9, the year @orl! @ar )) be"an$
3he wor4 is mystical, even ecstatic, with plain lowin" melo!ies reminiscent o ol! chant$ )t was
premiere! in 1940 at the Conservatory, con!#cte! by Charles '#nch$ )t was playe! at a memorial
concert or Franaix in &e 'ans in 1999, its irst French perormance since 19<1$
A Joseph /tevenson, 9ll '#sic ?#i!e