Jarre, Maurice (Alexis)

views updated

Jarre, Maurice (Alexis)

Jarre, Maurice (Alexis), French composer; b. Lyons, Sept. 13, 1924. He studied electrical engineering before entering the Paris Cons. in 1943, where he was a student of La Presle (harmony) and Aubert (orchestration). He also profited from advice from Honegger. After working with Radiodiffusion Française (1946-50), he served as director of music at the Théâtre National Populaire in Paris (1951-63). In 1955 and 1962 he won the Prix Italia. He became especially successful as a film composer, winning Academy Awards for Lawrence of Arabia (1963), Dr. Zhivago (1965), and A Passage to India (1985). Among his other film scores were The Longest Day (1962), Ryan’s Daughter (1970), Shogun (1980), and Dead Poets Society (1990). His other compositions include Armida, opéra-ballet (1954), Fâcheuse rencontre, ballet (1958), Loin de Rueil, musical comedy (1961), Notre-Dame de Paris, ballet (1966), Mouvements en relief for Orch. (1953), Winter War, ballet (1987; new version, 1998), Passacaille in memory of Honegger for Orch. (Strasbourg, June 15, 1956), Polyphonies concertantes for Piano, Trumpet, Percussion, and Orch. (1959), and Mobiles for Violin and Orch. (Strasbourg, June 20, 1961).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire