Maurice Ohana is a Compositeur French, born the June 12th 1913 with Casablanca (Morocco) and dead the November 13rd 1992 with Paris.

Biography and musical approach

Initiated by his/her mother with the jondo lays Spanish, it also listens, child, the improvisations of the musicians Berbère S with the Morocco: these first contacts with the music will influence it durably. After having received a beginning of musical formation with Barcelona (1927 - 1931), it goes up to Paris, where, while studying architecture, it works the Piano with Lazare Levy, the counterpoint and the harmony with Daniel Lesur. After the Guerre, in which it takes part under the uniform Britannique (Africa, Egypt), it is found in 1944 with Rome, where he becomes the pupil and the friend of the type-setter Alfredo Casella and discovers the young Italian school. At this point in time it composes its first works (1944 - 1946).

Of return to Paris in 1946, it takes part in the foundation of the group “Zodiac”, which gives itself like proclamation the defense of the freedom of language against all “artistic tyrannies”, aiming in particular the Dogmatisme of the Serial music. It is in this spirit of independence that is created, in 1950, one of its major works, the Llanto por Ignacio Sánchez Mejías , influenced at the same time by Manuel of Falla and the " Lays jondo " Spanish. It continues the development of its personal language, marked at the same time by a refusal of any intellectualism and a fidelity with the Spanish tradition and the African rates/rhythms, which is expressed in particular in the Cantigas (1953 - 1954), and the choreographic Études for percussion (1955). Continuing its exploration of the sound universe, it undertakes research on the Micro-intervalles (quarters of let us tons, third of tons), that it uses in particular in the Tombeau of Debussy (1962).

The temperament in third of tone (used in the Tomb of Debussy in particular) is the microphone-temperament which it will privilege particularly. Because he answers for him a search for sonorities of a lost temperament returning imaginary of antiquity. Indeed, the temperament in third of let us tons, being deprived of semitones, dissociates itself by the singularity of its sonorities compared to that in quarter of tons. In addition the zithers in third of let us tons are characterized by a more crystalline sound taking into consideration that in of quarter tone. Moreover, the temperament in third of let us tons preserves the structure of the range by your fetish of Debussy, which is one of the most outstanding type-setters in the influences of Ohana. What undoubtedly reinforced the affection of Ohana for this temperament at the expense of that in quarter tone.

Cries, as a chorus has cappella (1968), marked by the experiment of the Musique electroacoustic, constitutes a new stage of its creative activity, followed soon major works like the Twenty-four Preludes for piano - homage to Chopin - created by the pianist Jean-Claude Pennetier in 1973, the Ring of Tamarit for violoncello and orchestra, inspired by the poet Federico Garcia Lorca (1976), the Lys madrigaux for voice of women and together instrumental, or the Messe (created with the Festival of Avignon in 1977), which seeks to join again with the liturgy of the first Christian times.

The music of Maurice Ohana, who draws his sources in the Iberian and North-African tradition while having recourse to resolutely contemporary modes of expression (microtones, electroacoustic), is that of independent and one of most original of our time.

Maurice Ohana is among the contemporary type-setters having written works for Clavecin.

Principal works

• Llanto por Ignacio Sanchez Mejias , 1950
• Cantigas , 1953-1954
• choreographic Studies for percussion , 1955
• Tomb of Debussy , 1962
• Cries, as a chorus has cappella , 1968
• Twenty-four Preludes for piano , 1973
• the Ring of Tamarit , 1976
• Tombeau of Louise Labé , for twelve votes soloists and violoncello
• Dies solis/Lux noctis , for four choruses and percussions
• Avoaha , 1991
• Célestine , opera
• Noctuaire , 1975
• Lily madrigaux , 1977
• Mass , 1977
• Silenciaire
• Spelling-book for Phèdre , veracious opera
• History of Jacotin , radiophonic tale Price ITALIA 1961
• Three Tales of the honourable flower
• Figures
• Three Graphs

References

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