Editing Jean Barraqué

{{Short description|French composer, musicologist, and lecturer (1928–1973)}}
'''Jean-Henri-Alphonse Barraqué''' (17 January 1928 – 17 August 1973) was a French [[composer]] and music writer. His relatively small {{lang|fr|œuvre}} is known for its [[serialism]].

==Life==
Barraqué was born in [[Puteaux]], [[Hauts-de-Seine]]. In 1931, he moved with his family to Paris. He studied in Paris with [[Jean Langlais]] and [[Olivier Messiaen]] and, through Messiaen, became interested in serialism. After completing his [[Piano Sonata (Barraqué)|Piano Sonata]] in 1952, he suppressed or destroyed his earlier works. A book published by the French music critic [[André Hodeir]], titled ''Since Debussy'',{{sfn|Hodeir|1961}} created controversy around Barraqué by claiming this work as perhaps the finest [[piano sonata]] since [[Piano sonatas (Beethoven)|Beethoven]]. As the work had still not been publicly performed, and only two other works by him had at this time, the extravagant claims made for Barraqué in this book were received with some scepticism. Whilst with hindsight it is clear that Hodeir had accurately perceived the exceptional features of Barraqué's music—notably its searing Romantic intensity, which distinguishes it from the contemporaneous works of [[Pierre Boulez|Boulez]] or [[Karlheinz Stockhausen|Stockhausen]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Okuneva |first=Ekaterina |title="Romantic" Serialism (Sonata for Piano by Jean Barraqué) |url=https://www.academia.edu/21288077 |journal=Теория музыки (Music Theory) |volume=2 |issue=13 |pages=119–124 |via=academia.edu}}</ref>

As [[Paul Griffiths (writer)|Paul Griffiths]]' biography clarified, Boulez had in fact attempted to get the Barraqué Piano Sonata performed for some years after it was finished.{{sfn|Griffiths|2003|loc=45}} Barraqué's music was published starting in 1963 by the Florentine businessman Aldo Bruzzichelli,{{sfn|Griffiths|2001}} who provided much-needed material assistance for the composer, but whose promotion could not perhaps compete with that of the better known [[Universal Edition]] in Vienna who published Boulez, [[Luciano Berio|Berio]], and Stockhausen.

Embracing the Parisian avant-garde, Barraqué entered into a romantic relationship with the philosopher [[Michel Foucault]]. Together, they tried to produce their greatest work, used recreational drugs heavily and engaged in sado-masochistic sexual activity.{{sfn|Eribon|1991|loc=65–68}}{{sfn|Macey|1993|loc=50–53}}{{sfn|Miller|1993|loc=66, 79–82, 89–91}}

Barraqué was involved in a car accident in 1964, and his apartment was destroyed by fire in November 1968.{{sfn|Janzen|1989|loc=241–242}} He suffered from bad health for much of his life. Nevertheless, his death in Paris in August 1973, at the age of 45, was sudden and unexpected, and he appeared to have resumed serious work on a number of larger compositions from the ''Death of Virgil'' cycle.{{sfn|Page|1986}}

==Music and reputation==
Barraqué stated that he wrote about 30 works before those that he eventually acknowledged; as far as is known they were destroyed by him. They included a ''Nocturne'' and ''Mouvement lent'' for piano, at least three piano sonatas, a sonata for unaccompanied violin, and a [[symphony]] in C-sharp minor.{{sfn|Henrich|1997|loc=7–8}} The presumably fourth, but un-numbered Piano Sonata, for which he gave the date 1952, was his earliest acknowledged work. Barraqué then produced his only [[electronic music|electronic]] piece, the [[musique concrète]] ''Etude'' (1954), made at [[Pierre Schaeffer]]'s studio. Subsequently, he planned a large-scale cycle of pieces, ''La Mort de Virgile'', based on [[Hermann Broch]]'s [[novel]] ''[[The Death of Virgil]]'', a book which Barraqué's friend and sometime lover Michel Foucault recommended to him. This cycle, along with other pieces deriving from it or acting as commentaries upon it, he envisaged as his principal lifelong creative project. Following the scheme of the novel, it was to be divided into four sub-cycles: ''Water (The Arrival)'', ''Fire (The Descent)'', ''Earth (The Expectancy)'' and ''Air (The Return)''. Most of Barraqué's creative efforts went into the works which were to take their place in ''Fire (The Descent)'', which – to give an idea of the projected scope of the whole design – was to have consisted of thirteen works.<ref name="Halbreich 1987, 7">{{harvnb|Halbreich|1987|loc=7}}</ref> Before his death he completed two of the projected parts: ''Chant aprés chant'' (1966), and ''[[Le Temps restitué]]'' (1957/68). Fragments of some of the other parts exist.

Barraqué also wrote ''[[... Au delà du hasard]]'' (1958–59) for three female voices and ensemble, and a [[Concerto (Barraqué)|Concerto]] for clarinet, vibraphone and ensemble in 1962–68, which are related to ''The Death of Virgil'', but not actually part of that cycle. (''... Au delà du hasard'' is described as a commentary on ''Affranchi du hasard'', which was to have been the eleventh piece of ''Fire (The Descent)'' but was not actually composed.)<ref name="Halbreich 1987, 7"/> The only other extant piece by Barraqué is ''Séquence'' (1955–56), a setting of [[Friedrich Nietzsche|Nietzsche]] for soprano and ensemble which is partly a re-working of three songs for soprano and piano from the early fifties.<ref>The songs are published in {{harvnb|Henrich|1997|loc=illustr. 21–23}}.</ref>

Barraqué's use of [[tone row]]s in his work is quite distinctive. Rather than using a single tone row for an entire piece, as [[Anton Webern]] did, or using a number of related rows in one work, as [[Alban Berg]] or [[Arnold Schoenberg]] sometimes did, Barraqué starts by using one row, and then subtly alters it to get a second. This second row is then used for a while before being slightly altered again to make a third. This process continues throughout the work. He called this technique "proliferating series".{{sfn|Riotte|1987}}

[[Harry Halbreich]] has written that "Barraqué's whole work is marked by terrible despair, lightened by no religious or ideological faith, and entirely dominated by the great shadow of Death".<ref name="Halbreich 1987, 7" /> In 1998 the record company [[Classic Produktion Osnabrück|CPO]] issued his entire output on CD, in performances by the Austrian ensemble [[Klangforum Wien]].

The major reference work on his music in English is a biography entitled ''The Sea on Fire'' by the British music critic [[Paul Griffiths (writer)|Paul Griffiths]] (2003). In German, Heribert Henrich's book of 1997 is its complement. His music is now published by the German firm of [[Bärenreiter]].

==Writings==
Barraqué wrote many articles on other composers (including [[Alban Berg]], [[Claudio Monteverdi|Monteverdi]], [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]] and [[Olivier Messiaen|Messiaen]]) and on theoretical aspects of contemporary music. His major prose work is his book on [[Claude Debussy]] (Paris: [[Éditions du Seuil]], 1962). He also made numerous analyses of works in the standard repertoire from [[Johann Sebastian Bach|J. S. Bach]] to [[Arthur Honegger|Honegger]], some of which he used in his teaching.<ref>Full list in {{harvnb|Henrich|1997|loc=276–278}}.</ref> His few pupils included the British composer [[Bill Hopkins (composer)|Bill Hopkins]].

==Compositions==

===Completed works===
* Sonata for solo violin (1949)
* ''Trois Mélodies'' for soprano and piano (1950) (texts from The Song of Solomon, [[Charles Baudelaire|Baudelaire]] and [[Arthur Rimbaud|Rimbaud]])
* ''Séquence'' for voice, percussion and chamber ensemble (1950–55) (text by [[Friedrich Nietzsche|Nietzsche]]; incorporates material from the ''Trois Mélodies'')
* [[Piano Sonata (Barraqué)|Piano Sonata]] (1950–52)
* ''Etude'' for three-track tape (1952–53)
* ''[[Le Temps restitué]]'' for soprano, chorus and orchestra (1956–68) (text from [[Hermann Broch]], ''[[The Death of Virgil]]'', in French translation by Albert Kohn)
* ''[[... Au delà du hasard]] (premier Commentaire de 'Affranchi du hasard' et du 'Temps Restitué')'' for four instrumental groups and one vocal group (1958–59) (text by Barraqué 'around a quotation of Hermann Broch')
* [[Concerto (Barraqué)|Concerto]] for six instrumental groups and two solo instruments (vibraphone and clarinet) (1962–68)
* ''[[Chant après chant]]'' for six percussionists, voice and piano (1966) (text by Barraqué and Hermann Broch)

===Unfinished works===

* ''Sonorité jaune'' (1957 sketch based on [[Wassily Kandinsky]], ''[[The Yellow Sound|Der gelbe Klang]]'')
* ''Musique de scène'' for 4 clarinets (bass clarinet), 3 saxophones (alto, tenor, baritone), 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, tuba, percussion (3 players), xylophone, vibraphone, celesta, glockenspiel and piano. It also includes two reciters, "L'aventurier" (The Adventurer) and "Le pauvre homme" (The Poor Man). 1958–59. Premiere {{ill|sirene Operntheater|de}}, Austria, 2017.
* ''Discours'' (c. 1961): sketch for a work for voices and orchestra, text from Hermann Broch, ''The Death of Virgil'', in French translation by Albert Kohn)
* ''Lysanias'' (c. 1966–69; 1972–73): sketch for three solo voices and orchestra (text by Barraqué and Hermann Broch). The first performance was scheduled for the 1973 Royan Festival, before being cancelled due to incompletion.<ref>See the review of the festival by Paul Griffiths: ‘Festivals', The Musical Times, Vol. 114, No. 1564 (Jun., 1973), p. 629 https://doi.org/10.2307/955598 https://www.jstor.org/stable/955598</ref>
* ''Portiques du Feu'' (c. 1968; 1972–73): sketch for 18 solo voices (text by Barraqué and Hermann Broch)
* ''Hymnes à Plotia'' for string quartet (1972–73)

==Notes==
{{reflist|15em}}

===Sources===
{{div col|colwidth=45em}}
*{{wikicite|ref={{harvid|Eribon|1991}}|reference=[[Didier Eribon|Eribon, Didier]]. 1991 [1989]. ''Michel Foucault'', translated by Betsy Wing. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. {{ISBN|978-0-674-57286-7}}.}}
* {{cite encyclopedia |last=Griffiths |first=Paul |author-link=Paul Griffiths (writer) |year=2001 |title=Barraqué, Jean |encyclopedia=[[The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians]] |editor1=[[Stanley Sadie]] |editor2=[[John Tyrrell (musicologist)|John Tyrrell]] |location=London |publisher=Macmillan}}
* Griffiths, Paul: ‘La Rochelle, Royan', ''The Musical Times'', Vol. 114, No. 1564 (Jun., 1973), p. 629 https://doi.org/10.2307/955598 https://www.jstor.org/stable/955598
* {{cite book |last=Griffiths |first=Paul |year=2003 |title=The Sea on Fire: Jean Barraqué |series=Eastman Studies in Music |volume=25 |location=Rochester, New York |publisher=Rochester University Press |isbn=1-58046-141-7 |issn=1071-9989}}
* {{wikicite|ref={{harvid|Halbreich|1987}}|reference=[[Harry Halbreich|Halbreich, Harry]], "Jean Barraqué: Complete Works", essay (1987) translated by Elizabeth Buzzard, first published in programme book of 1989 Almeida Festival.}}
* {{cite book |last=Henrich |first=Heribert |year=1997 |title=Das Werk Jean Barraqués. Genese und Faktur |publisher=Bärenreiter |isbn=3-7618-1386-4}}
* {{wikicite|ref={{harvid|Hodeir|1961}}|reference=[[André Hodeir|Hodeir, André]]. 1961. ''La musique depuis Debussy''. Paris: Presses universitaires de France. English edition, as ''Since Debussy: A View of Contemporary Music''. pp- 193-196Translated by [[Noël Burch]]. Evergreen original, E-260. New York: Grove Press; London: Secker and Warburg, 1961.https://www.harmonies.com/13325-2_woodward_barraque/hodeir_barraque.pdf}}
* {{cite journal |last=Janzen |first=Rose-Marie |date=Winter 1989 |title=A Biographical Chronology of Jean Barraqué |translator=[[Adrian Jack]] |journal=[[Perspectives of New Music]] |volume=27 |number=1 |pages=234–245|doi=10.2307/833269 |jstor=833269 }}
*{{wikicite|ref={{harvid|Macey|1993}}|reference=[[David Macey|Macey, David]]. 1993. ''[[The Lives of Michel Foucault]]''. London: Hutchinson. {{ISBN|978-0-09-175344-3}}.}}
*{{wikicite|ref={{harvid|Miller|1993}}|reference=[[James Miller (academic)|Miller, James]]. 1993. ''[[The Passion of Michel Foucault]]''. New York: Simon & Schuster. {{ISBN|978-0-674-00157-2}}.}}
* {{cite news |last=Page |first=Tim |date=24 November 1986 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/11/24/arts/music-prism-orchestra-in-barraque-premiere.html |title=Music: Prism Orchestra in Barraqué Premiere |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=18 April 2017}}
* {{cite journal |last=Riotte |first=André |year=1987 |title=Les séries proliférantes selon Barraqué: Approche formelle |journal=Entretemps |number=5 |pages=65–74}}
{{div col end}}

==Further reading==
{{div col|colwidth=45em}}
* Goye, Jean-Philippe, and Patrick Ozzard-Low. 1987. "Barraqué – Broch – Heidegger". ''Entretemps'' 5:43–58
* Hayes, Aaron. Summer 2015. "Death, Creativity, and Voice in Jean Barraqué's ''Le temps restitué''". ''[[Perspectives of New Music]]'' 53, no. 2: 5–53.
* [[Bill Hopkins (composer)|Hopkins, G. W. [Bill]]]. 1966. "Jean Barraqué", ''[[The Musical Times]]'' 107, no. 1485: 952–954.
* Hopkins, Bill. 27 January 1972. "Barraqué's Piano Sonata". ''[[The Listener (magazine)|The Listener]]''
* Hopkins, Bill. 1978–79. "Barraqué and the Serial Idea". ''[[Proceedings of the Royal Musical Association]]'' 105:13–24.
* Hopkins, Bill. September 1993. "Portrait of a Sonata". ''[[Tempo (journal)|Tempo]]'' New Series, no. 186: 13–14.
* [[Adrian Jack|Jack, Adrian]]. 1972–73. "Jean Barraqué". ''[[Music and Musicians]]'' 21, no. 4:6–7.
* Jack, Adrian. 1973–74. "A Contract with Death". ''Music and Musicians'' 22, no. 2:6–7.
* Ozzard-Low, Patrick. 1989. "Barraqué – Broch – Heidegger: A Philosophical Introduction to the Music of Jean Barraqué". ''Cahiers d'Etudes Germaniques'' no. 16:93–106.
* Lyon, Raymond. 1969. "Propos impromptu". ''Courrier Musical de France'' no. 26:25–80. Reprinted in ''Jean Barraqué: Écrits'', edited by Laurent Feneyrou and Raymond Lyon, 177–184. Paris: [[Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University]], 2001.
* Lyon, Raymond. (ed.). 1973. "Portrait de Jean Barraqué". ''Courrier Musical de France'' no. 44:130–132.
* [[Alain Poirier|Poirier, Alain]]. July 1988. "L'histoire 'toujours recommencée' ...: introduction à la pensée analytique de Jean Barraqué". ''Analyse musicale'' no. 12: 9–13.
* [[Rainer Riehn|Riehn, Rainer]], and [[Heinz-Klaus Metzger]] (eds.). 1993. ''Jean Barraqué''. Musik-Konzepte no. 82. Munich: Edition Text+Kritik.
* [[Alessandro Taverna|Taverna, Alessandro]]. 2011. "L'opera al fuoco". ''Sagra Musicale Malatestiana'' 62:105–111.
{{div col end}}
* Woodward, Roger (2014). "Jean Barraque". ''Beyond Black and White''. HarperCollins. pp.&nbsp;400–414. {{ISBN|9780733323034}}

== External links ==

* [https://brahms.ircam.fr/en/jean-barraque Composer's entry] on [[IRCAM]]'s database
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