Caftan, Jean

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Caftan, Jean

talented French composer; b. Nancy, Dec. 1, 1906; d. Bligny, March 26, 1932. His father was the famous mathematician Elie Cartan. He studied with Marcel Rousseau; then with Dukas at the Paris Cons. His works, composed within the brief period of six years, showed extraordinary promise, and his death at the age of 25 was mourned as a great loss to French music. He left a cantata, Pater Noster, two string quartets, a Sonatina for Flute and Clarinet (Oxford, July 25, 1931), piano pieces, and several cycles of songs.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire