
José Manuel López López
Spanish composer born 15 January 1956 in Madrid.
José Manuel López López was born in Madrid, Spain, in 1956. He studied piano, composition, and orchestral conducting in the Madrid Conservatory and then continued his studies at the Université de Paris VIII, in the field of musicology, where he is now a professor and the director of the University’s Composition Workshop. He holds a specialized DEA degree in 20th-century music from the IRCAM and the École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS), and also studied composition with Luis De Pablo, Olivier Messiaen, Luigi Nono, Pierre Boulez, and Franco Donatoni, and participated in Cursus (IRCAM’s composition and computer music course).
López López was selected multiple times to represent Spain in the UNESCO International Rostrum of Composers, and his music has won prizes from the International Society for Contemporary Music and the International Computer Music Conférence, as well as being performed in major festivals around the world. He has received many commissions, including from the French and Spanish Ministries of Culture, the Caja Foundation in Madrin, IRCAM, Studio Agon and Nuove sincronie in Milan, the National Orchestra of Spain, Arditti Quartet, the Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon, Radio France, the Musica de Strasbourg festival, and CIRM in Nice.
In 1996, he was awarded a fellowship from the AFAA (Association française d’action artistique) for a composition project titled Haïkus d’automne at the Villa Kujoyama in Kyoto. In 1997, he was a fellow of the Spanish Academy of Fine Arts in Rome. In November 2000, he was awarded the Spanish Premio Nacional de Musica. From 2000 to 2003, he was in residency in Burgundy, France, and in 2004 at the Cátedra Manuel de Falla de Cadiz in Spain. In 2011 he held a residency at the Civitella Ranieri Foundation in Umbria, Italy; he was a collaborative musical consultant for the BBVA Foundation in Spain, was a guest professor and composer at the Internationale Sommerakademie Universitat Mozarteum in Salzburg, and held a research residency at the Studio Art-Zoyd in Valenciennes.
In addition to being an active composer and lecturer, as well as his teaching responsibilities at the Université de Paris VIII, López López served as a professor of composition at the Conservatory of Music of Zaragoza from 2005 to 2007, and from 2008 to 2010, served as artistic director of the Auditorio Nacional de Música in Madrid.
Through his compositions, written for many types of formations, ranging from solo pieces such as Lo fijo y lo volatil for piano and sampler (1994) to large orchestral works such as Chronos (1986), and including pieces for voice and chamber music, López López reflects on the scientific and philosophical nature of sound, in the tradition of composers such as Grisey, Nono, Sciarrino, Lachenmann, and Vaggione, as well as Iannis Xenakis, to whose memory he dedicated two of his compositions: Hybris (2002) and Metro vox (2011). His work is also inspired by literature, in particular of the 12th century author Pedro Alfonso – De Silentio (1987), Sottovoce (1995) – as well as folk tales – La Pluma de Hu (2000) – and contemporary texts, such as the poems of Dionisio Cañas – …..agosto 2007…... Reading haikus during his travels in Japan inspired him to write Haïkus d’automne (1997), Viento de Otoño (1998), and Le parfum de la lune (2003). In 2005, Chinese poetry inspired El arte de la siesta. He collaborated with José Manuel Broto for Estudios sobre la modulacion métrica (2003). In 2004, he created a multimedia opera, La noche y la palabra, and that same year composed La Céleste for live percussion and recorded audio sequences, with video by Pascal Auger. He has created two sound installations with the visual artist Francis Naranjo: Insolación (2009) and Infierno doméstico (2011).
© Ircam-Centre Pompidou, 2011
Sources
- José Manuel López López ;
- David Rodríguez Cerdán, entretien avec José Manuel López López, Boletín de información discográfica, n° 172, juillet-août 2008.
- Solo music (except voice)
- elec Con cadencia de eternidad for tenor saxophone and magnetic tape (2000, 1989), 9 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- Spi for harpsichord (1992), 7 mn 30 s, Inédit
- Cálculo secreto for vibraphone (1993), 9 mn, Ricordi
- elec Lo fijo y lo volatil for piano and sampler (1994), 8 mn 30 s, Ricordi
- White ink for guitar (1996), 2 mn
- Black ink for guitar (1997), 7 mn, Ricordi
- Bien à toi for solo piano (2000), 5 mn 27 s, Ricordi
- Fenestra in la Chigiana in memoriam Franco Donatoni, for solo piano (2000), 3 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- Ekphrasis for marimba (2001), 9 mn
- Octandre piano transcription by Octandre from Varese (2001), 18 mn, Ricordi
- Hybris In Memoriam Iannis Xenakis, for piano (2002), 4 mn, Salabert
- Ensems XXV in crescendo for snare (2003), 1 mn 30 s, Piles
- Entrance-Exit for piano (2004), 12 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- elec La Céleste for live percussion, recorded audio and video sequences (2004), 14 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- In Memoriam Joaquín Homs for piano (2005), 4 mn 8 s, María Sánchez Lucas
- A través del vacio for organ (2006), 17 mn 30 s, María Sánchez Lucas
- Un instante anterior al tiempo for piano (2006), 16 mn 11 s, María Sánchez Lucas
- Appasionata Bagatelle für Beethoven, for piano (2009), 3 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- Impresiones y paisajes for solo guitar (2011), 7 mn, Piles
- elec Vibrazoyd for vibraphone and electronics (2012)
- Chamber music
- Después de los trémolos for flute and clarinet (1986), 6 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- Nicchio for wood quartet (1990, 1986), 8 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- elec ircam Ircam cursus Lituus for brass quartet and sampler (1991), 12 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques [program note]
- Trio n° 1 for clarinet, piano and violin (1992), 9 mn, Ricordi
- Trio n° 2 for flute, viola and guitar (1993), 9 mn, Ricordi
- Atrium for cello and piano (1994), 59 mn, Ricordi
- Regalo for string trio (1997), 2 mn, Inédit
- Tres piezas breves para dos violines for two violins (1997), autre
- African Winds for bass clarinet and percussions (1998), 9 mn, Ricordi
- African Winds version for two marimbas (1998), 9 mn, Ricordi
- El margen de indefinicion for alto saxophone and percussion (2000), 9 mn, Lemoine
- Sonata for violin and piano (2001), 18 mn
- Estudio II sobre la Modulación Métrica for four percussionists (2003), 10 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- Dos Miradas Proyecto Taller Sonoro Tres Miradas sober Machaut (2004), 16 mn
- CH 75 for five instrumentalists (2005), 3 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- Cuarteto de cuerda nº 1 for string quartet (2007), 20 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- African Winds III for baritone saxophone and percussion (2008), 9 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- Trio III for violin, cello and piano (2008), 15 mn
- elec Saori for kotos, theorbo, mandolin, harp and electronic device in real time (2009), 19 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- Haikus del Mar for six percussionists (2010), 22 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- SIMOG-CIVITELLA saxophone quartet (2011), 14 mn
- Ensemble music
- Aquilea for ten instruments (1986), 10 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- Chronos for orchestra (1986), 11 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- Anatta for orchestra (1987), 14 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- Chakra for nine instrumentalists (1988), 13 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- Memoria de un tiempo imaginario for orchestra (1988), 20 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- Kutb for ten instrumentalists (1989), 12 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- Redes cristalinas for set (1990), 9 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
- Hag for ensemble (1991), 9 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
- Agua y cuadrante for eight instruments (1992), 11 mn, Ricordi
- Jenseits... Diesseits for set (1998, 1992), 10 mn, Ricordi
- Mettendo il grande oceano in spavento for seven instrumentalists (1997), 9 mn, Ricordi
- Viento de Otoño for set (1998), 20 mn, Ricordi [program note]
- La Pluma de Hu for seven instruments (2000), 14 mn, Ricordi
- Les Cordes for string ensemble (2002), 14 mn, Salabert
- Obertura de la Noche for harmony orchestra (2003), 11 mn, Salabert
- Concert music
- Rhea for string trio soloist and ensemble (1989), 11 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- elec Diesseits for solo trumpet, ensemble and electronics (1993), 12 mn, Ricordi
- Concierto para violín y orquesta for violin and orchestra (1995), 19 mn, Ricordi
- A Tempo for solo cello and ensemble (1998), 15 mn 17 s, Ricordi
- Movimientos for two pianos and orchestra (1998-1999), 14 mn, Ricordi
- Le parfum de la lune for violin and ensemble (2003), 17 mn, Salabert
- elec El arte de la siesta for solo accordion, ensemble and electronics (2005), 15 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- Concierto para piano y orquesta for solo piano and manipulator and orchestra (2005-2011), 17 mn 43 s, María Sánchez Lucas
- Vocal music and instrument(s)
- Aixa for soprano and piano (1984), 2 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- Sámaras for vocal quartet and ensemble (1985), 25 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- Haïkus d'automne for six voices with small percussions and six brass instruments (1997), 15 mn, Ricordi
- Vino regalo divino for clarinet, mixed choir and orchestra (2002), 35 mn, Salabert
- elec stage La noche y la palabra opera, for three solo voices, eight-part choir, two percussions, ensemble, electronics and images (2004), 1 h 15 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- Eppur si muove for choir and orchestra (2012), 17 mn, Salabert
- A cappella vocal music
- De Sapientia In memorian Tierno Galván, for twenty-one sopranos (1986), 9 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- De Silentio for six sopranos and six contraltos (1987), 6 mn 30 s, María Sánchez Lucas
- elec ircam Sottovoce for vocal and electronic quartet (1995), 14 mn, Ricordi [program note]
- elec Metro vox In Memoriam Iannis Xenakis , for eight solo voices (2010), 19 mn, Salabert
- Electronic music / on medium / mechanical instruments
- elec Les Temps multiples for magnetic tape (1987), 11 mn, Inédit
- elec Tweed for magnetic tape (1991), 11 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- elec …..agosto 2007….. video and poem (2008)
- elec Insolación sound installation (2009)
- elec Infierno doméstico sound installation (2011)
- 2012
- Eppur si muove for choir and orchestra, 17 mn, Salabert
- elec Vibrazoyd for vibraphone and electronics
- 2011
- Concierto para piano y orquesta for solo piano and manipulator and orchestra, 17 mn 43 s, María Sánchez Lucas
- Impresiones y paisajes for solo guitar, 7 mn, Piles
- elec Infierno doméstico sound installation
- SIMOG-CIVITELLA saxophone quartet, 14 mn
- 2010
- Haikus del Mar for six percussionists, 22 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- elec Metro vox In Memoriam Iannis Xenakis , for eight solo voices, 19 mn, Salabert
- 2009
- Appasionata Bagatelle für Beethoven, for piano, 3 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- elec Insolación sound installation
- elec Saori for kotos, theorbo, mandolin, harp and electronic device in real time, 19 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- 2008
- African Winds III for baritone saxophone and percussion, 9 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- Trio III for violin, cello and piano, 15 mn
- elec …..agosto 2007….. video and poem
- 2007
- Cuarteto de cuerda nº 1 for string quartet, 20 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- 2006
- A través del vacio for organ, 17 mn 30 s, María Sánchez Lucas
- Un instante anterior al tiempo for piano, 16 mn 11 s, María Sánchez Lucas
- 2005
- CH 75 for five instrumentalists, 3 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- elec El arte de la siesta for solo accordion, ensemble and electronics, 15 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- In Memoriam Joaquín Homs for piano, 4 mn 8 s, María Sánchez Lucas
- 2004
- Dos Miradas Proyecto Taller Sonoro Tres Miradas sober Machaut, 16 mn
- Entrance-Exit for piano, 12 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- elec La Céleste for live percussion, recorded audio and video sequences, 14 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- elec stage La noche y la palabra opera, for three solo voices, eight-part choir, two percussions, ensemble, electronics and images, 1 h 15 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- 2003
- Ensems XXV in crescendo for snare, 1 mn 30 s, Piles
- Estudio II sobre la Modulación Métrica for four percussionists, 10 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- Le parfum de la lune for violin and ensemble, 17 mn, Salabert
- Obertura de la Noche for harmony orchestra, 11 mn, Salabert
- 2002
- Hybris In Memoriam Iannis Xenakis, for piano, 4 mn, Salabert
- Les Cordes for string ensemble, 14 mn, Salabert
- Vino regalo divino for clarinet, mixed choir and orchestra, 35 mn, Salabert
- 2001
- 2000
- Bien à toi for solo piano, 5 mn 27 s, Ricordi
- El margen de indefinicion for alto saxophone and percussion, 9 mn, Lemoine
- Fenestra in la Chigiana in memoriam Franco Donatoni, for solo piano, 3 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- La Pluma de Hu for seven instruments, 14 mn, Ricordi
- 1999
- Movimientos for two pianos and orchestra, 14 mn, Ricordi
- 1998
- A Tempo for solo cello and ensemble, 15 mn 17 s, Ricordi
- African Winds for bass clarinet and percussions, 9 mn, Ricordi
- African Winds version for two marimbas, 9 mn, Ricordi
- Viento de Otoño for set, 20 mn, Ricordi [program note]
- 1997
- Black ink for guitar, 7 mn, Ricordi
- Haïkus d'automne for six voices with small percussions and six brass instruments, 15 mn, Ricordi
- Mettendo il grande oceano in spavento for seven instrumentalists, 9 mn, Ricordi
- Regalo for string trio, 2 mn, Inédit
- Tres piezas breves para dos violines for two violins, autre
- 1996
- White ink for guitar, 2 mn
- 1995
- Concierto para violín y orquesta for violin and orchestra, 19 mn, Ricordi
- elec ircam Sottovoce for vocal and electronic quartet, 14 mn, Ricordi [program note]
- 1994
- Atrium for cello and piano, 59 mn, Ricordi
- elec Lo fijo y lo volatil for piano and sampler, 8 mn 30 s, Ricordi
- 1993
- Cálculo secreto for vibraphone, 9 mn, Ricordi
- elec Diesseits for solo trumpet, ensemble and electronics, 12 mn, Ricordi
- Trio n° 2 for flute, viola and guitar, 9 mn, Ricordi
- 1992
- Agua y cuadrante for eight instruments, 11 mn, Ricordi
- Jenseits... Diesseits for set, 10 mn, Ricordi
- Spi for harpsichord, 7 mn 30 s, Inédit
- Trio n° 1 for clarinet, piano and violin, 9 mn, Ricordi
- 1991
- Hag for ensemble, 9 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
- elec ircam Ircam cursus Lituus for brass quartet and sampler, 12 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques [program note]
- elec Tweed for magnetic tape, 11 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- 1990
- Redes cristalinas for set, 9 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
- 1989
- elec Con cadencia de eternidad for tenor saxophone and magnetic tape, 9 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- Kutb for ten instrumentalists, 12 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- Rhea for string trio soloist and ensemble, 11 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- 1988
- Chakra for nine instrumentalists, 13 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- Memoria de un tiempo imaginario for orchestra, 20 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- 1987
- Anatta for orchestra, 14 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- De Silentio for six sopranos and six contraltos, 6 mn 30 s, María Sánchez Lucas
- elec Les Temps multiples for magnetic tape, 11 mn, Inédit
- 1986
- Aquilea for ten instruments, 10 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- Chronos for orchestra, 11 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- De Sapientia In memorian Tierno Galván, for twenty-one sopranos, 9 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- Después de los trémolos for flute and clarinet, 6 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- Nicchio for wood quartet, 8 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- 1985
- Sámaras for vocal quartet and ensemble, 25 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
- 1984
- Aixa for soprano and piano, 2 mn, María Sánchez Lucas
Discographie
- José Manuel LÓPEZ LÓPEZ, Concerto pour piano et orchestre ; Concerto pour violon et orchestre ; Movimientos pour deux pianos et orchestre, Alberto Rosado : piano, Ernst Kovacic : violon, Juan Carlos Garvayo : piano, Deutsches Symphonie Orchester Berlin, direction : Johannes Kalitzke, 1 cd Kairos, 2010, KAI 0013022.
- José Manuel LÓPEZ LÓPEZ, Cálculo secreto, Johannes Fischer : percussion, avec des œuvres de Iannis Xenakis, Matthias Pintscher, Jacob Druckman et Vinko Globokar, 1 cd OEHMS classics, 2008, OC716.
- José Manuel LÓPEZ LÓPEZ, « Musica para piano », Aberto Rosado : piano, 1 cd Verso, 2008, VRS2050.
- José Manuel LÓPEZ LÓPEZ, Con cadencia de eternidad, Xelo Giner : saxophone, avec des œuvres de François Rossé, Edgar Barroso et Andrés Lewin, 1 cd Ars Harmonica, 2008, AH201.
- José Manuel LÓPEZ LÓPEZ, Le Parfum de la Lune ; El arte de la siesta ; A Tempo ; Rhea, Plural Ensemble, direction : Fabian Panisello, 1 cd NEOS Music, n° 10814.
- José Manuel LÓPEZ LÓPEZ, « Lo fijo y lo volatil » : 1. Cálculo secreto ; 2. Sottovoce ; 3. Jenseits… Diesseits ; 4. Lo fijo y lo volatil ; 5. Lituus, Miguel Bernat : vibraphone (1), ensemble Electric Phoenix (2), ensemble Sine Qua Non, direction : Nicolas Brochot (3), Françoise Matringe : piano (4), cuivres de l’Ensemble intercontemporain (5), réalisation électronique Ircam, 1 cd BMG Ricordi, 1999, CRMCD 1057.
- José Manuel LÓPEZ LÓPEZ, Trio II, Stefan Ostersjo : guitare et l’ensemble Ars Nova, avec des œuvres de Franco Donatoni, Tristan Murail, Kent Olofsson, Elliott Carter et James Dillon, 1 cd dB Productions, 1997, dBCD31.
- José Manuel LÓPEZ LÓPEZ, Lituus ; Concierto para violín y orquestra, quatuor de cuivres de l’Ensemble intercontemporain : Jens Mcmanama, Jean-Jacques Gaudon, Benny Sluchin et Gérard Buquet, Anne Mercier : violon, Orchestre et chœur national d’Espagne, direction Howard Griffiths, 1 cd Sibila, avec des œuvres de Kaija Saariaho, 1995, SIB-003.
- José Manuel LÓPEZ LÓPEZ, Trío II dans « Multifonía 95. La jeune Musique de Chambre Espagnole » avec des œuvres de Felix Ibarrondo, Francisco Luque, David Del Puerto, Alfredo Aracil, José Luis Turina et Enrique X. Macias, Isabel Duval : flûte, Geneviève Strosser : alto, Caroline Delume : guitare, 1 cd L’empreinte Digitale, 1995, ED13040 .
- José Manuel LÓPEZ LÓPEZ, Aquilea ; Memoria de un tiempo imaginario ; Chakra ; Kutb ; Nicchio, Grupo Circulo, Orquestra Gulbenkian de Lisboa, direction : José Luis Temes, 1 cd Gasa, coll. « Musica Española contemporanea » n° 9, 1991, n° 9G0446.
Bibliographie
- David Rodríguez CERDÁN, entretien avec José Manuel López López, Diverdi, Boletín de información discográfica, n° 172, juillet-août 2008.
- Luc RONDELEUX, « José Manuel López López, Il tempo ritrovato », Musica-Realtà, 58 -1999/1, Mars 1999, Libreria Musicale Italiana, Euresis Edizioni, p. 18-26.
- José Manuel LÓPEZ LÓPEZ, Quinze années de musique en Espagne 1975-1990, mémoire de DEA de Musique et musicologie du XXème siècle : Paris, École des hautes études en sciences sociales, École normale supérieure, CID-RM (CNRS) et Ircam-Centre Georges Pombidou, 1990, 62 p.
- José Manuel LÓPEZ LÓPEZ, Karlheinz Stockausen, ed. Círculo de Bellas Artes, coll. « Músicos de nuestro tiempo », n° 10, Madrid, 1990.
Liens Internet
- Site de José Manuel López López, http://www.josemanuel-lopezlopez.com (lien vérifié en juin 2013).
- Éditions Durand-Salabert-Eschig (Universal Music Publishing Classical) http://www.durand-salabert-eschig.com (lien vérifié en juin 2013).
- Centre de documentation de la musique contemporaine, page José Manuel López López, http://www.cdmc.asso.fr/fr/ressources/compositeurs/biographies/lopez-lopez-jose-manuel-1956 (lien vérifié en juin 2013).