The famous French composer is Paul Mauriat. French composers

His enchanting, magical melodies carried away into some unknown, incomparable world of music and unique sounds of everyone who at least once heard them. A great, unsurpassed master of his craft, a world-famous composer, and just a wonderful person, the pride of France - Paul Mauriat will forever remain in people's memory, thanks to his wonderful work.

Maestro of magical music

Have you ever paid attention to the biographies of great personalities, namely the actions of famous people, their character, and how these two components of our being on this planet are powerfully interconnected. A kind and decent person will never commit an evil deed, never write a bad song or melody.

On the contrary, the works of such people are positive, as if illuminating and cleansing the souls of people from all kinds of filth. Just like vile and unkind people are ready to bring only negativity and destruction into this world. And that is why the influence of their creativity on the minds of people is so dangerous.

Paul Mauriat can be safely ranked in the first category of creative geniuses. A man of rare kindness, so pure in all respects that sometimes it seemed that just now an aura of holiness would sparkle over him.

At least, this is how everyone who knew him well, whom he helped, speaks about him. And he helped many on his life path, not forgetting to support young talents who at the beginning of their journey could barely make ends meet.

Paul himself was born in the city of Marseille in 1925, grew up in a fairly poor family. He began to study music from early childhood, he did not exchange for any pranks even in childhood, as if he always knew that he was born for great music, so he needs to be in time in this fleeting life as much as possible.

Surprisingly, France itself did not recognize its hero for a long time, in every possible way infringing and hindering the composer in his work. It was not easy for Paul to break through in his beloved state. And only when the whole world started talking about him, did Paris feel ashamed of his unworthy behavior, and perhaps it was just a pity to lose a profitable musician.

Resentment against Russia

France, America, Canada, European countries, Japan, China. Perhaps the whole world was captivated by the most wonderful, melodic and such unusual melodies of Paul Mauriat. Only Russia remained. A cold camp with a difficult character. USSR State Concert on the initiative of the Soviet Cultural Society "USSR-France". in 1978 he sent an invitation to the composer with a request to conduct a tour - 7 concerts in Moscow.

Paul happily agreed. Russia has long been interesting to this man, he himself went through many difficulties and hardships, he was always very faithful, both in friendship and in family life.

He fell in love with his wife at first sight and forever. This became a good example for those who mistakenly believed that true love does not exist, and fidelity is not kept forever.

Paul believed that Russia, which had experienced a lot in its lifetime, was close to him in character, which is why he so wanted to play for people. For simple, kind, open Russian people. But his dream did not come true. The concert hall, where Paul's performance was supposed to be, was filled for the most part by representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and special services.

The composer's mood was spoiled, and after the concert he immediately flew to Paris, not wanting to stay in the country of the Soviets for even a minute, especially since he was paid only rubles, which could be spent on badges, nesting dolls, pies and black caviar. The musicians barely scraped together on the way back.

The most significant personal achievement for Paul Mauriat was the melody "Chariot", written by him under the pseudonym Del Roma (Del Roma), together with his friends and colleagues - Frank Pourcel, who made the arrangement and Raymond Lefebvre, who orchestrated the melody. The song won the Grand Prix at the European Eurovision Song Contest in 1962.

The great composer and conductor Paul Mauriat left us, unfortunately, in 2006. But what a blessing that his music will stay with us forever, continuing to delight, purify and inspire good deeds.

French composer - Paul Mauriat - VIDEO

Paul Mauriat developed his own style, which became the most unique in its breadth and range - it was an unusual, light, bright and memorable music. Listen to his music.

Among these melodies there is a motive for any mood: romantic, positive or dreary, to relax and not think about anything, or, conversely, to collect your thoughts.

The Italian composer and pianist works in the direction of minimalism, often turns to ambient and skillfully combines classical music with other musical styles. He is known to a wide circle for atmospheric compositions that have become soundtracks for films. For example, you will surely recognize the music from the French tape "1 + 1" written by Einaudi.

Glass is one of the most controversial personalities in the world of modern classics, which is either praised to the skies or criticized to the nines. He has been with his Philip Glass Ensemble for half a century and has written music for over 50 films, including The Truman Show, The Illusionist, Taste of Life and The Fantastic Four. The melodies of the American minimalist composer blur the line between classical and popular music.

The author of many soundtracks, the best film composer of 2008 according to the European Film Academy and a post-minimalist. Captivated critics from the first album Memoryhouse, in which Richter's music was superimposed on poetry readings, and subsequent albums also used fictional prose. In addition to writing his own ambient compositions, he arranges classical works: Vivaldi's The Four Seasons topped the iTunes classical music charts in his arrangement.

This creator of instrumental music from Italy is not associated with sensational cinema, but is already known as a composer, virtuoso and experienced piano teacher. If you describe Marradi's music in two words, then these will be the words "sensual" and "magical". Those who love retro classics will like his creations and covers: notes of the last century are seen in the motives.

The famous film composer has created musical accompaniment for many high-grossing films and cartoons, including Gladiator, Pearl Harbor, Inception, Sherlock Holmes, Interstellar, Madagascar, The Lion King. His star flaunts on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and on his shelf are Oscar, Grammy and Golden Globe. Zimmer's music is as varied as these films, but no matter the tone, it strikes a chord.

Hisaishi is one of the most famous Japanese composers, having won four Japanese Academy Film Awards for best film score. He became famous for writing the soundtrack for Hayao Miyazaki's anime Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. If you're a fan of Studio Ghibli or Takeshi Kitano's tapes, you're sure to admire Hisaishi's music. It is mostly light and light.

This Icelandic multi-instrumentalist is just a boy compared to the listed masters, but by his 30s he managed to become a recognized neoclassicist. He recorded accompaniment to a ballet, won a BAFTA award for the soundtrack to the British TV series "Murder on the Beach" and released 10 studio albums. Arnalds' music is reminiscent of a harsh wind on a deserted seashore.

Lee Ru Ma's most famous works are Kiss the Rain and River Flows in You. The Korean New Age composer and pianist writes popular classics that are understandable to listeners on any continent, with any musical taste and education. His light and sensual melodies for many became the beginning of love for piano music.

Dustin O'Halloran

The American composer is interesting in that he does not have a musical education, but at the same time he writes the most pleasant and quite popular music. O'Halloran's tunes have been used in Top Gear and several films. Perhaps the most successful soundtrack album was for the melodrama Like Crazy. This composer and pianist knows a lot about the art of conducting and how to create electronic music. But his main field is modern classics. Cacchapalla has recorded many albums, three of them with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. His music flows like water, it's great to relax under it.

What other modern composers are worth listening to

If you love epic, add Klaus Badelt, who worked with Zimmer on Pirates of the Caribbean, to your playlist. Also, Jan Kaczmarek, Alexandre Desplat, Howard Shore and John Williams should not be missed - you need to write a separate article to list all their works, merits and awards.

If you want more delicious neoclassicism, pay attention to Niels Fram and Sylvain Chauveau.

If you don't get enough, remember the creator of the soundtrack to "Amelie" Jan Tiersen or discover the Japanese composer Tammon: he writes airy, dreamlike melodies.

Which composers' music do you like and which don't? Who else would you add to this list?

Jean-Philippe Rameau is a popular composer from France, famous for his musical experiments. He was famous throughout Europe, served as a court composer for the French king. He entered the history of world music as a theorist of the Baroque trend, the creator of a new operatic style. We will tell his detailed biography in this article.

Biography of the composer

Jean-Philippe Rameau was born in 1683. He was born in the French city of Dijon.

His father was an organist, so the boy was introduced to music from childhood. As a result, he learned the notes before he learned the alphabet. Jean-Philippe Rameau was educated at a Jesuit school. His parents strongly supported his passion for music. Therefore, as soon as he turned 18, he was sent to Italy to improve his musical education. Jean-Philippe Rameau studied in Milan.

Returning to his homeland, he first got a job as a violinist in an orchestra in the city of Montpellier, then followed in his father's footsteps, starting to work as an organist. He constantly performed in Lyon, his native Dijon, Clermont-Ferrand.

In 1722, Jean-Philippe Rameau, whose biography is in this article, finally settled in Paris. He began to compose music for the capital's theaters. It is noteworthy that he wrote not only secular, but also spiritual works. In 1745 he was appointed court composer at the court of Louis XV the Beloved.

The most famous works

Secular works brought fame to the hero of our article. Jean-Philippe Rameau created many pieces for harpsichord, which became so popular in the 20th century that they even began to be played and studied in children's music schools. Also among his works it is worth noting as many as five concertos for violin, harpsichord and viola, characteristic pieces that are distinguished by a vivid and memorable style.

The composer also has spiritual works. First of all, these are three Latin motets, that is, polyphonic vocal works that were extremely popular in the Middle Ages in Western Europe, have not lost their relevance in the Renaissance.

Among the popular plays by Rameau, one should note the works "Chicken", "Tambourine", "Hammers", "Dauphine", "Roll Call of Birds".

Musical experiments

These days, Ramo is primarily known as a daring musical experimenter. Especially often he made experiments when writing pieces for harpsichord. Rameau experimented with rhythm, harmony and texture. Contemporaries directly called his workshop a creative laboratory.

The example of the plays "Cyclopes" and "Savages" is indicative. In them, Rameau managed to achieve an amazing sound due to the unusual deployment of the tonal mode. It was quite inventive and unusual for the musical works of the time. In the play "Enharmonic" Rameau was one of the first in the world to use enharmonic modulations, that is, he used sounds, chords, intervals and keys that coincided in height, which at the same time remained different in spelling.

Jean-Philippe Rameau's instrument is the organ. He also repeatedly experimented with it, achieving a fundamentally new sound.

New opera style

Jean-Philippe Rameau created a new operatic style. This is what he is most famous for among his contemporaries. You can evaluate it by the most famous musical tragedies of the author. For example, this is Hippolyte and Arisia.

This is his first opera, the libretto for which was written by Simon Joseph Pellegrin. The opera is based on the famous tragedy of Racine called "Phaedra", which, in turn, was written on the basis of the tragedies "Hippolytus" by Euripides and "Phaedra" by Seneca.

Interestingly, this opera was the only one by Rameau that was not popular with the audience. But it also sparked a lively controversy. Adherents of opera traditions believed that it turned out to be too complicated and artificial. Supporters of Rameau's music objected to them in every possible way.

It is noteworthy that Rameau wrote his first opera when he was almost 50 years old. Before that, he was known as the author of works on music theory and collections of easy pieces for harpsichord. Rameau himself worked for many years to create a great work worthy of the Royal Opera, but could not find a writer who would help him realize this plan. Only an acquaintance with the abbot Pellegrin, who by that time was already known as the author of the libretto for the opera Jephthaia, saved the situation.

Pellegrin agreed to cooperate, but, according to rumors, demanded a promissory note from Rameau in case the work failed. One of the main innovations that the composer used in this opera was the connections that arose between the overtures and the content of the opera itself. So he managed to illustrate the confrontation between the main characters of the work - Hippolyta and Phaedra.

Rameau continued his work on the creation of a new operatic style in the operas Castor and Pollux, the opera-ballet The Gallant Indias, the works Dardanus, Hebe's Celebrations, or Lyrical Gifts, Naida, Said, Zoroaster, "Boready", lyrical comedy "Platea". Most of the operas were first staged at the Paris Opera.

Today, seven cantatas have become extraordinarily popular, which were never published during his lifetime. Often the choristers also perform his "Hymn of the Night". True, recently it has become known that this is not a work of Rameau, but a later adaptation of the theme from the opera Hippolyte and Aricia, made by Noyon.

Treatises on Music Theory

At one time, Rameau became famous as a major musical theorist, thanks to whom French classical music and opera stepped far forward. In 1722 he published the famous "Treatise on harmony reduced to its natural principles".

He also enjoyed and still arouses interest among specialists in his work in the ways of accompaniment on the harpsichord and organ, research on the origin of harmony, demonstration of its foundations, and observation of a person's inclination to music.

In 1760, his treatise "Laws of Practical Music" caused lengthy discussions.

Composer recognition

After the composer's death, he was quickly forgotten, since Rameau was replaced by an even bolder reformer, Christophe Gluck, who created a fundamentally new opera. Throughout almost the entire 19th century, Rameau's works were not performed. His music was carefully studied only by the composers themselves. For example, Richard Wagner and

Only at the beginning of the 20th century did the works of Rameau begin to return to the stage. today he has become a recognized genius of French music, one of the most influential figures of the mid-eighteenth century.

A crater on the planet Mercury was even named after the composer.

short biography

Hector Berlioz was born on December 11, 1803 in the east of France in the town of La Côte - Sainte-André. He was the first child in the family of a local doctor, who comprehensively developed his son, instilling in him an interest, including in music.

As a child, Hector mastered the flute and guitar, it was then that his first romances were composed. In 1821, he went to Paris to study, but not at all at the conservatory, but at the Medical School, since his father saw him as the successor to the medical dynasty. However, Berlioz's student was not interested in medical research, but disgusted. He found an outlet at the Paris Opera, where he was inspired by the talents of Gluck and Spontini. He began to study the scores of his favorite operas, wrote an article in a magazine and again took up writing. Since 1823, the young man has been taking private lessons in composition, and is engaged in self-education.

In 1824, Hector left the Medical School to take up full-time music. Parents took this step extremely negatively, his father significantly reduced its content, and the young author of the publicly performed "Solemn Mass" was forced to earn his living by singing in the choir. In 1826, Berlioz entered the Paris Conservatory, which he graduated in the year of his absolute triumph with the Fantastic Symphony. At the same time, the prestigious Rome Prize was also received, with the funds from which he went to study in Italy. The return to Paris in 1833 was heralded by her marriage to the actress Harriet Smithson. The whole Berlioz family was opposed to this marriage, with the exception of his younger sister Adele. A year later, the son Louis was born, named after the composer's father.

Despite being active in composing and conducting, Berlioz's main income came from journalism and music criticism. For the sake of earning, he took the position of deputy, and then the librarian of the Paris Conservatory. The real salvation from bankruptcy was two tours in Russia - in 1847 and 1867-68. The first of them took place not without the participation of M.I. Glinka, whom Berlioz met back in Rome.

Union with the eccentric Irish Smithson, lasted 11 years, and in 1854 Harriett died. In the same year, Berlioz entered into a new marriage with the singer Marie-Genevieve Martin, or Marie Recio - as she was called on stage, with whom the composer had a long-term relationship. At the end of Berlioz's life, only losses pursued him - in 1860, his younger sister Adele died, in 1862 - his wife, in 1864 - at the age of 26, his last lover, Amelie, died, and in 1867 Berlioz lost his only son. After this loss, the elderly maestro was never able to recover. He goes on tour to Russia for three months, where the first seizures happen to him. On March 8, 1869, he passes away in his Paris apartment.

Film "In the footsteps of Berlioz"

The traditions of French musical culture began to be laid even before the 15th century. It is known for certain that it was greatly influenced by the cultures of the Germanic and Celtic tribes living in the modern territory of France. The development of music in this country took place in interaction with the creativity of the peoples of neighboring countries - Italians and Germans. That is why the French musical heritage turned out to be so colorful and diverse.

origins

Initially, folk music came to the fore in France, without which ordinary people could not imagine their existence. With the advent of Christianity, church music was born, which gradually began to change under the influence of the people.

The most famous composer of liturgies of that time is called Ilarius from the province of Poitiers. He lived in the 3rd century and was the smartest theologian and teacher of the church.

Around the 10th century, secular music began to gain popularity. It is performed at feudal courts, on the squares of large cities, in monasteries. Among the instruments there are drum, flute, tambourine, lute.

The 12th century was marked by the opening of a music school at Notre Dame, the great Parisian cathedral. Its composers became the creators of new musical genres (conduct, motet).

In the 13th century, the most prominent musician was Adam de la Alle, who rethought the work of the troubadours, giving way to real musical art. His most interesting creation is "The Game of Robin and Marion". He became the author of both poetry and music for this play, which was successfully staged at the court of Count Artois.

Ars nova - the direction of European music, which was developed in France, became the embodiment of new ideas of musicians. The French composers Guillaume de Machaux and Philippe de Vitry became the main theorists of this period. De Vitry wrote the musical accompaniment to the poem "The Romance of Fauvel", de Machaux became the author of the "Mass of Notre Dame". This is the first work written by one composer, and not in collaboration with someone else.

Renaissance

From the middle of the 15th to the second half of the 16th century, French music developed under the influence of the Dutch school and such internal political changes as the war for the unification of France, the establishment of a centralized state, and the emergence of the bourgeoisie.

Under the influence of such composers as Gilles Benchois, Josquin Despres, Orlando di Lasso, a new layer is being formed in the musical art of France. The royal court does not stand aside. Chapels appear there and approve the position of the chief intendant of music. The first was the Italian violinist Baltazarini di Belgioiso.

The heyday of the national musical culture came in the 16th century, when chanson stood out as a genre, organ music acquired a significant role. Jean Titluz became the founder and ideologist of this direction.

The creativity of the Huguenots was widespread, which, due to religious strife, was relegated to the background. French composers, the largest representatives of this layer, Claude Goudimel and Claude Lejeune became the authors of hundreds of psalms. Both of them suffered during the St. Bartholomew's night.

17th century

The music of this century developed under the influence of the established absolute monarchy. Court life under Louis XV was famous for its pomp and abundance. Therefore, it is not surprising that, among other entertainments, such important genres as opera and ballet appeared.

Cardinal Mazarin advocated the development of sophisticated art. His Italian origin was the reason for the popularization of the culture of this country in France. The first attempts to create a national opera belong to Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre, who wrote "Kefala and Procris" in 1694.

Opened in 1671, the Royal Opera House presented the country with remarkable composers. Marc-Antoine Charpentier created hundreds of works, including the operas Orpheus's Descent into Hell, Medea, and the Judgment of Paris. Andre Kampra is the author of the opera-ballet "Gallant Europe", "Carnival of Venice", musical tragedies "Iphigenia in Tauris", "Achilles and Deidamia".

The 17th century was the period of the formation of the French school of harpsichordists. Among its participants, Chambonnière and Jean-Henri d'Anglebert can be distinguished.

18 century

Musical and social life in this century is changing dramatically. Concert activity goes beyond the court. From 1725, regular public concerts were held in theaters. The "Amateur Concertos" and "Friends of Apollo" societies were founded in Paris, where amateurs could enjoy the performance of instrumental music.

The harpsichord suite reached its peak in the 1930s. Francois Couperin wrote more than 250 pieces for harpsichord and became famous not only in his native country, but also abroad. He also has royal operas and works for organ to his credit.

For the music of the 18th century, the work of Jean Philippe Rameau, who was not only a talented composer, but also a prominent theorist in his field, is of great importance. His lyrical tragedies Castor and Pollux, Hippolyte and Arisia, ballet-opera The Gallant Indias are also in demand among contemporary directors.

Almost all musical works until the middle of the 18th century were either ecclesiastical or mythological. But the mood in society demanded new interpretations and genres. On this basis, the buff opera gained popularity, which from the satirical side showed high society and royal power. The first librettos for such operas were written by Charles Favard.

French composers of the 18th century had a great influence on the operatic style and the musical-theoretical basis of this genre.

19th century

The Great French Revolution brought about significant changes in musical culture. Military brass music came to the fore. Special schools were opened to train military musicians. The opera was now dominated by patriotic plots with new national heroes.

The Restoration period was marked by the rise of romantic opera. The French composer Berlioz is the most prominent representative of this time. His first program work was the "Fantastic Symphony", reflecting the exaggerated emotionality, typical moods of that time. He became the creator of the dramatic symphony "Romeo and Juliet", the overture "King Lear", the opera "Benvenuto Cellini". In his native country, Hector Berlioz was evaluated ambiguously. This was due to the special creative path that he chose for himself. His works are filled with incredible orchestral effects, which the composer was the first French musician to use.

The middle of the 19th century was marked by the beginning of the development of operetta in the country. But already in the 1870s, lyrical music came to the fore, but with realistic tendencies. Charles Gounod is considered the founder of this genre. His operas - The Unwitting Doctor, Faust, Romeo and Juliet - express all the composer's innovative developments.

Dozens of works significant for French culture were created by Georges Bizet, who lived a short life. He studied at the conservatory from the age of 10 and made great progress from the very beginning. He won several significant music competitions, which allowed the musician to leave for Rome for several years. After his return to Paris, Georges Bizet began working on the opera of his life, Carmen. Its premiere took place in 1875. The public did not accept and did not understand this work. The composer died in the same year, never having seen the triumph of "Carmen".

In the last years of the 19th century, French composers wrote under the influence of German ones, especially Richard Wagner.

20th century

The new century was marked by the spread of impressionism in musical culture. Great French composers became adherents of this style. The brightest was K. Debussy. All the main features inherent in this direction were reflected in his work. The aesthetics of impressionism did not stand aside from another Frenchman. Maurice Ravel in his works mixed different stylistic trends of his time.

The 20th century was the period of creation of creative associations, whose members were artists. The famous "French Six", created under the leadership of Eric Satie and Jean Cocteau, became the most powerful community of composers of that time.

The association got its name because of the analogy with the Russian Union of Composers - the Mighty Handful. They were brought together by the desire to move away from foreign influence (in this case, German) and to develop the national layer of this art.

The association included Louis Duray ("Lyrical Offerings", "Self-Portraits"), Darius Milhaud (opera "Guilty Mother", ballet "Creation of the World"), Arthur Honegger (opera "Judith", ballet "Shota Rustaveli"), Georges Auric ( music for the films "Princess of Cleves", "Roman Holiday"), Francis Poulenc (opera "Dialogues of the Carmelites", cantata "Un ballo in maschera") and Germaine Taifer (opera "The Little Mermaid", ballet "The Birdseller").

In 1935, another association was born - "Young France". Its participants were Olivier Messiaen (opera "Saint Francis of Assisi"), Andre Jolivet (ballets "Beauty and the Beast", "Ariadne").

Such a new trend as the musical avant-garde appeared after 1950. Its bright representative and inspirer was Pierre Boulez, who studied with Messiaen. In 2010, he entered the top twenty of the best conductors in the world.

The development of contemporary art in France was facilitated by the pioneering work of such pillars of academic music as Debussy and Ravel.

Debussy

Achille-Claude Debussy, born in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, from early childhood felt a craving for beauty. Already at the age of 10 he entered the Paris Conservatory. Studying was easy for him, the boy even won a small internal competition. But Claude was burdened by classes in harmony, since the teacher was unfriendly to the boy's experiments with sounds.

Having interrupted his studies, Claude Debussy went on a trip with a landowner from Russia, N. von Meck, as a house pianist. The time spent on Russian soil had a beneficial effect on Claude. He enjoyed the work of Tchaikovsky, Balakirev and other composers.

Returning to Paris, Debussy continued to study at the conservatory and write. He is still developing his own style. The turning point in Claude's life was his acquaintance with E. Satie, who, with his innovative ideas, showed the way for the beginning composer.

Debussy's mature style finally took shape by 1894, when he wrote The Afternoon of a Faun, the famous symphonic prelude.

Ravel

Maurice Ravel was born in the south of France, but moved to Paris at a young age to learn his passion. His teacher was the French composer-pianist Charles de Bériot.

As with Debussy, Maurice was greatly influenced by his meeting with Eric Satie. After her, Ravel began to compose with a vengeance, inspired by the composer's speeches and ideas.

Even while studying at the conservatory, Ravel wrote a number of works on Spanish motifs ("Habanera", "Old Minuet"), which were warmly received by fellow musicians. However, the composer's style once played a cruel joke on him. Ravel was not allowed to participate in the competition for the prestigious Rome Prize, citing age restrictions. But the composer was not yet 30 years old and could, in accordance with the rules, submit his composition. In 1905, because of this, a huge scandal erupted in the music world.

After the First World War, to which Ravel volunteered, the emotional principle was considered the main one in his works. This explains the abrupt transition from writing operas to instrumental compositions (the suite "The Tomb of Couperin"). He also collaborates with Sergei Diaghilev and writes music for the ballet Daphnis and Chloe.

At the same time, the composer begins to work on his most significant work - "Bolero". The music was completed by 1928.

The last work of Maurice Ravel was "Three Songs" written for Fyodor Chaliapin.

Legrand

For the Russian audience, the name of one French composer sounds very familiar. This is Michel Legrand, who created the music for cult films.

Michel Jean was born into the family of a conductor and pianist. From childhood, the boy was fascinated by the art of music, which is why he entered the Paris Conservatory. After completing his studies, he left for the United States, where he began writing music for films.

In France, he worked with renowned directors Jean-Luc Godard and Jacques Demy. His most popular work is the music for the film "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg".

Wrote jazz music. Since the 1960s he has worked in Hollywood. Among the famous works of the composer are the music for "The Thomas Crown Affair", "The Other Side of Midnight". Michel Legrand is a three-time Oscar winner.

21 century

Academic music is still in demand in France. Do not count all the festivals and established awards for achievements in this area. In Paris, which is the cultural center of the country, there are the National Conservatory, Opera Bastille, Opera Garnier, Theater of the Champs Elysees. There are dozens of orchestras known all over the world.

The music of French composers becomes known to the general public thanks to the cinema. Along with operatic and symphonic music, they also write for films. These are mainly works for the French film industry, but some composers also go international. The most successful living French composers of the 21st century are:

1. Antoine Duhamel ("Stolen Kisses", "Graceful Age").
2. Maurice Jarre ("Doctor Zhivago", "Walking in the Clouds").
3. Vladimir Kosma ("Prick with an umbrella", "Dads").
4. Bruno Coulet ("Belphegor-ghost of the Louvre", "Chorists").
5. Louis Aubert (operas "Blue Forest", "Charming Night").
6. Philippe Sarde ("Daughter of D" Artagnan "," Princess de Montpensier ").
7. Eric Serra (soundtracks for Leon, Joan of Arc, The Fifth Element).
8. Gabriel Yared ("The English Patient", "Cold Mountain").