composer
Biography
Jean-Pascal Chaigne studied composition with Allain Gaussin then Emmanuel Nunes and Stefano Gervasoni at the Paris Conservatory where he obtained first prizes in composition, orchestration, analysis, harmony, counterpoint and 20th century music writing. His works are performed by ensembles such as Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Ensemble Intercontemporain, Ensemble Contrechamps, Ensemble Orchestral Contemporain, Musicatreize, L’Itinéraire, Ensemble 2e2m, Ensemble Aleph, L'Instant Donné, Atmusica, Sound Initiative, Quatuor Béla, Quatuor Leonis and Quatuor Habanera.
Jean-Pascal Chaigne's music illustrates his particular interest for poetry: first, his will to include his works within rigorously developed cycles – Le travail du silence, Mezza Voce, Objets, Hymnes à la nuit, Les chiffres du corps and his Triptych after Kafka – echoes the requirements of Mallarmé in Livre; also, his music is almost always inspired by the work of poets such as Anne-Marie Albiach, Claude Royet-Journoud, Roger Giroux and Danielle Collobert.
Jean-Pascal Chaigne is Professor of 20th-21st century music writing at the Paris Conservatory (CNSMDP) and at the Haute Ecole de Musique Vaud Valais Fribourg (HEMU) in Switzerland.
Video
Audio
CDs
Trace, for double bass
"Conversation Pieces" (2015) – Florentin Ginot
(Conservatoire de Paris)
Dire I, for two pianos
Duo Soleil-Cerise (2013)
Emmanuelle Bouillot et Vinca Bonnaud
Objets I, for bass clarinet
"Dédicaces" (2010) – Jean-Marc Fessard
(Quantum / Codaex)
Figurations, for string trio and orchestra
"Journées de la composition 2009"
(Conservatoire de Paris)
Figuration I, for viola, cello and orchestra
"Journées de la composition 2007"
(Conservatoire de Paris)
News
19 June
2023
Haute Ecole de Musique (Utopia I hall), Lausanne (Switzerland), 11:00 :
Dire I pour deux pianos, Philippe Frelon and Pannita Mamanee
26 Nov.
2022
Musée d’art et d’histoire, Freibourg (Switzerland) :
Objets II for cello octet, students from HEMU, dir. Guillaume Bourgogne
18 June
2022
Ensemble L'Archivolte, Couvent de la Tourette, L’arbresle, France :
Au seuil d'une parole for recorder
L'évidence d'un regard for harpsichord
De miroir, d'absence for viola da gamba
New work for recorder, harpsichord and viola da gamba
8 June
2022
Haute Ecole de Musique, Geneva, Switzerland, Salle de la Bourse, 18:00 :
Au seuil d'une parole for recorder, Angelo Chardonnet
23 May
2022
Musik Akademie Basel, Kartäuserkirche des Waisenhauses, Switzerland, 17:00 :
Et je m'épuise d'être là for portative organ, Alexandre Jaques
15 May
2022
Conservatory of Thalwil-Oberrieden, Switzerland, 17:00 :
Et je m'épuise d'être là for portative organ, Alexandre Jaques
1 May
2022
Reformed Church of Neukirch-Egnach, Switzerland, 17:00 :
Et je m'épuise d'être là for portative organ, Alexandre Jaques
25 Feb.
2022
New Music Festival 2022 – Berklee College of Music, 19:00 :
Hymne V (US premiere) for piccolo and xylophone, Ensemble Intercontemporain
15 Jan.
2022
Conservatory of Brest, France, 19:30 :
Souffle (world premiere) for contrabass clarinet and double bass, Ensemble Sillages
21 Nov.
2021
Reformed Church of Sitterdorf, Switzerland, 17:00 :
Et je m'épuise d'être là (world premiere) for portative organ, Alexandre Jaques
4 Nov.
2021
Ensemble Archivolte, Annecy, Yvette Martinet Hall, 20:30 :
Au seuil d'une parole (world premiere) for recorder, Marie Lerbret
L'évidence d'un regard (world premiere) for harpsichord, Mathilde Blaineau
De miroir, d'absence for viola da gamba, Louise Bouedo
23-27 June
2021
Twin Cities New Music Festival, Studio Z, St Paul, USA:
L'énigme et son sommeil for soprano
6 June
2021
Studio de l'Ermitage, Paris :
Echo for large ensemble, Ensemble 2e2m, students from the CRR of Gennevilliers, conducted by Michel Pozmanter CANCELLED
4 June
2021
Rendez-vous d’ailleurs Theatre, Paris, 19:00 :
Vertical et blanc I for cello, Pierre Strauch
28 May
2021
Rendez-vous d’ailleurs Theatre, Paris, 19:00 :
Vertical et blanc I for cello, Pierre Strauch
14 May
2021
Fête de la musique contemporaine, Conservatory of Gennevilliers, France, 20:00 :
Echo for large ensemble, Ensemble 2e2m, students from the Conservatory of Gennevilliers, conducted by Michel Pozmanter
Works
With the exception of Hymne I (Symétrie Editions), Jean-Pascal Chaigne's scores are published by Mezza-Voce Editions and available for sale
Solo instrument
L’évidence d’un regard (2020)
Harpsichord (7’)
Au seuil d'une parole (2020)
Recorder (7’)
Hymne IV (2019)
Piano (8')
Ce que l'œil recèle (2018)
Viola (3')
Cet abîme d’étoiles (2018)
Theorbo (8')
De miroir, d’absence (2016)
Viola da gamba (9’)
Wie ein Toter (2016)
Cello (13’)
Trace (2014)
Double bass (10’)
Hymne II (2013)
Percussion (8’30’’)
Soit donc cela II (2013)
Organ (8’)
Soit donc cela I (2013)
Harpsichord (8’)
L’épaisseur d’un cri (2012)
Traverso (5’30’’)
L’énigme et son sommeil (2011)
Soprano (6’30’’), after a poem by Claude Royet-Journoud
Hymne I (2010)
Flute (6’)
Vertical et blanc III (2009-revised 2011)
Violin (9’)
Vertical et blanc II (2009)
Viola (5’30’’)
Objets I (2007)
Bass clarinet (5’30’’)
Vertical et blanc I (2006-revised 2009)
Cello (6’30’’)
Chamber music
Echo (2020)
Three choirs or ensembles (12 parts – free instrumentation) (16’)
Hymne V (2018)
Piccolo and xylophone (7’)
Souffle (2018)
Contrabass clarinet and double bass (9')
Immer wieder Angst (2016)
Soprano, flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano (10’), after Franz Kafka
Aux limites sourdes (2015)
Solo violin, percussion and three female voices (13’)
Entaille (2015)
String quartet (17’)
Shlof (2015)
Vocal sextet (4’), after a Yiddish lullaby; excerpt from the monodrama Der Bau
Reflet (2014)
Clarinet, violin and cello (8’30’’)
Dire II (2014)
Clarinet, percussion, piano, violin, viola, cello and double bass (8’)
Dans la ligne des paupières (2013)
Soprano and string quartet (16’), after a poem by Anne-Marie Albiach
…an die Nacht I (2013)
Solo flute, string trio, piano and percussion (8’)
Dire I (2012)
Two pianos (8’)
L’élaboration du silence (2012)
Three female voices or female chorus (4’), after a poem by Anne-Marie Albiach
L’amant et l’image / Objets III (2012)
Mezzo-soprano, flute, guitar, percussion and violin (8’), after a poem by Claude Royet-Journoud
Objets IV (2011)
Saxophone quartet (8’30’’)
Strates (2010)
Mezzo-soprano, viola, cello and harpsichord (6’30’’), after a poem by Anne-Marie Albiach
Césure : le corps (2010)
Mezzo-soprano and violin (7’), after a poem by Anne-Marie Albiach
La voix extrême la lumière (2010)
Mezzo-soprano, cello and harpsichord (6’), after a poem by Anne-Marie Albiach
Hymne VI (2010)
Flute, piano and percussion (6’30’’)
Trois mouvements (2009)
String quartet (2’30’’)
Objets II (2008)
Cello octet (7’)
Répétition (2004-rév. 2010)
Mezzo-soprano, string trio and harpsichord (7’), after a poem by Anne-Marie Albiach
Vocal ensemble
Echo (2020)
Three choirs or ensembles (12 parts – free instrumentation) (16’)
Shlof (2015)
Vocal sextet (4’), after a Yiddish lullaby ; excerpt from the monodrama Der Bau
…an die Nacht II (2013)
Solo percussionist, four percussionists and mixed choir (9’), after a poem by Novalis
L’élaboration du silence (2012)
Three female voices or female chorus (4’), after a poem by Anne-Marie Albiach
Ma voix te suit (2011)
A cappella choir (SATB) (7’), after a poem by Claude Royet-Journoud
Orchestra
Echo (2020)
Three choirs or ensembles (12 parts – free instrumentation) (16’)
Der Bau (2015)
Monodrama for narrator, vocal sextet and chamber orchestra (50’), from the Kafka novella Der Bau
La trajectoire du souffle (Figuration III) (2011)
Violin and large orchestra (10’)
Figurations (2009)
String trio and chamber orchestra (23’)
Figuration I (2007)
Cello and chamber orchestra (6’)
Cycles
Triptych after Kafka:
Der Bau, for narrator, vocal sextet and chamber orchestra
Immer wieder Angst, for soprano, flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano
Wie ein Toter, for cello
Le travail du silence cycle (after Roger Giroux):
L’épaisseur d’un cri, for traverso (baroque flute)
De miroir, d’absence, for viola da gamba
Cet abîme d’étoiles, for theorbo
L’évidence d’un regard, for harpsichord
Au seuil d’une parole, for recorder
Cette ligne imaginaire, for hammered dulcimer
[in progress], for portative organ
Les chiffres du corps triptych (after Anne-Marie Albiach):
Entaille, for string quartet
Souffle, for contrabass clarinet and double bass
Reflet, for clarinet, violin and cello
Trace, for double bass
Objets cycle:
Objets I, for bass clarinet
Objets II, for cello octet
Objets III, for mezzo-soprano, flute, guitar, percussion and violin
Objets IV, for saxophone quartet
Kardia diptych (after Kardia by Claude Royet-Journoud):
L’énigme et son sommeil, for soprano
Ma voix te suit, for a cappella choir (SATB)
Hymnes à la nuit cycle (after Hymnen an die Nacht by Novalis):
Hymne I, for flute
Hymne II, for percussion
Hymne III [in progress], for piano and percussion
Hymne IV [in progress], for piano
Hymne V [in progress], for flute and percussion
Hymne VI, for flute, piano and percussion
Mezza-Voce cycle (after Mezza Voce by Anne-Marie Albiach):
Césure : le corps, for mezzo-soprano and violin
Vertical et blanc I, for cello
La voix extrême la lumière, for mezzo-soprano, cello and harpsichord
Vertical et blanc II, for viola
Strates, for mezzo-soprano, viola, cello and harpsichord
Vertical et blanc III, for violin
Répétition, for mezzo-soprano, string trio and harpsichord
Contact
Copyright Editions Mezza-Voce