Pierre Schaeffer

This triple set culls everything you need to hear from Pierre Schaeffer. The "creator" of musique concrète is well known by name, but his reputation supersedes the exposure of his actual works. Yet, everyone interested in electro-acoustic music should listen to them, if only to understand where everything that followed the man's pioneer compositions came from. This edition was put together by Daniel Teruggi, mainly from a previous collection established by François Bayle in 1990 for the composer's 80th anniversary. Disc one contains "The Incunabula," the founding works of the genre most people have heard of but very little had a chance to listen to. "Cinq Études de Bruits" and "Diapason Concertino" sound crude, but are much eloquent about Schaeffer's vision. The 25-minute "Suite pour 14 Instruments," an utterly strange assemblage of diverse musical genres into a concrete suite, is the most articulated work here. Disc two is devoted to Schaeffer and Pierre Henry's collaborations from the early '50s. The star is "Symphonie pour un Homme Seul" (Symphony for a Man Alone), the first classic of the genre. Also included is "Bidule en Ut." Henry's "Écho d'Orphée" rounds up this CD. It is dedicated to Schaeffer and was put together in 1988 from bits and pieces of their collaborative works "Orphée 51" and "Orphée 53." Disc three presents Schaeffer's revisions from the late '50s and later works (late '70s), therefore illustrating the complex relationship the man kept with his creation. The accompanying 80-page booklet contains essays by such luminaries as Michel Chion and Bayle, all translated to English. L'Oeuvre Musicale is an essential item for anyone interested in the historical aspect of musique concrète. ~ François Couture, All Music Guide