updated 18 October 2021
© Tony Barthélémy

Patrick Marcland

French composer born in 1944 in Paris.

Born in Paris in 1944, Patrick Marcland is the son of chansonnier and film composer Marc Lanjean. In his youth, he performed jazz on guitar and studied music theory and classical guitar with Alberto Ponce at the Paris Ecole Normale de Musique. He later composed music for theatre and cinema, and worked as both an assistant film director and a musician for a theatre company. He went on to study composition with Max Deutsch, conducting with Henrik Bruun, and composition/analysis with Claude Ballif at the Paris Conservatoire (CNSMDP). He was awarded the SACEM Georges Enesco Prize in 1984, and has received numerous commissions from the French Ministry of Culture and Radio France, as well as from the most highly esteemed French contemporary music ensembles.

Influenced in his first concert works by Boulezian serialism (e.g., Mètres [1972] and Variants [1974]), he soon moved away from this style, developing his own, idiomatic compositional language which emphasised “meter” and used modes to allude to tonal centres, vestiges of his experience as a jazz musician that would remain present in his work throughout his career.

He has written for orchestras and ensembles including Ensemble Intercontemporain (Versets [1979], Étude [1995], De Temps en Temps [1996], Eclipsis [2004], and Eclipsis Déployé [2006]), Percussions de Strasbourg (Mots croisés [1999]), and the Lorraine Philharmonic (Maldoror [1997], after Lautréamont, a work that was subsequently performed by the French National Orchestra in the opening concert of the Présences Festival in 2001).

Advocating a “vivid, living” approach to music, he has long been interested in staged musical settings. He has composed numerous choreographic works in which instrumentalists and/or singers are implicated in the stage directions, notably collaborating with choreographers such as Nadine Hernu (Étude [1995], a co-production with Ensemble Intercontemporain; and Sanguine [1997]), Susan Buirge (Le Jour d’avant [1999], a coproduction with IRCAM and the Radio France Choir School; and Le Jour d’après [2000], premiered at the Metz Arsenal), and Laurence Marthouret (Walk [2002] for violin and dancer).

In 2003, he completed Chant de l’Olympe, an eight-channel “electroacoustic fresco” created in collaboration with Gualtiero Dazzi, which was subsequently released on CD on the Quai des Arts label. In 2004, his work Eclipsis was premiered at the Pompidou Centre by Christophe Desjardins and Jean-Jacques Gaudon. This work was subsequently “extended” into Eclipsis déployé, commissioned by IRCAM and premiered in Paris by Ensemble Intercontemporain.

Following a residence in Reims in 2005 which saw the premiere of Rythmes d’auprès for actor and bass flute, he undertook a residency with Musicatreize in Marseille, starting in September of the same year, during which he wrote a series of vocal works including Vers… for 12 voices, premiered in 2006. In 2008, he composed Le Roc-aux-Sorciers, an electroacoustic work which served to “sonorise” a replica of a sculpted Magdalenian frieze. More recent pieces include the two dance works Monade and Meltem, with choreography by Laurence Marthouret, and a work for mezzo-soprano and ensemble commissioned by Ensemble TM+.

In 2012, Sismal records released a monographic disc of the composer’s works. In January 2021, his piece Alto-Solo I was performed at the Philharmonie de Paris for a concert in memory of violist Christophe Desjardins. In August of the same year, Patrick Marcland announced, with Alireza Farhang and Antonin Servière, the creation of ensemble Inicia, supported by the CIRM, dedicated to blending music and other arts (dance, video, visual arts…).


© Ircam-Centre Pompidou, 2008

  • Solo (excluding voice)
    • Stretto for harp (1978), 4 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
    • La porte est refermée, la voilà sans lumiere for dancer and accordion, for a choreography by Laurence Marthouret (1991), Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
    • The dancer for solo double bass (1995), 5 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
    • stage Walk for a dancer and a violinist, for a choreography by Laurence Marthouret (2001), 34 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
    • Cello-solo for solo cello (2004), 8 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
    • Rythmes, Lumières, Espace for bass flute solo (2005), 10 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
    • Alto-Solo 1 (2008), 3 mn 37 s, Chester Music
    • elec ircam Alto-Solo 2 for viola and live electronics (2008), 4 mn 56 s, Chester Music
    • elec Saxo-Solo « As Time Goes By » for tenor saxophone and electronics (2011), 13 mn, Chester Music
    • Walk for solo violin (2021, 2003), 25 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
  • Chamber music
    • Mètres for flute, viola and harp (1972), 7 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
    • Desairs for 2 oboes, bassoon and harpsichord (1981), 10 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
    • Trio à cordes for violin, viola and cello (1987-1990), 13 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
    • Étude for 6 musicians and 3 dancers, for a ballet by Nadine Hernu (1994), 45 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
    • Étude for 6 musicians, concert version (1994), 25 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
    • Mots croisés for 6 groups of children and 6 percussionists (1998), 30 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
    • elec Eclipsis for viola, trumpet and electronics (1995-2001), 8 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
    • elec ircam Eclipsis déployé for six musicians and electronics (2007), 40 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques [program note]
    • Soleá for bassoon, horn, harp and double bass (2010), 8 mn, Chester Music
    • De Cristal et de Brume for string quartet (2012), Chester Music
  • Instrumental ensemble music
    • Tresses for 12 solo strings (1973), 8 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
    • Variants for 16 instruments (1976), 10 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
    • Versets for 17 instruments (1979), 12 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
    • La Ligne d'Ombre for large ensemble (2014), 13 mn, Chester Music
  • Concertant music
    • Failles for flute, viola, harp and orchestra (1975-1977), 14 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
    • De Temps en temps for solo viola and ten instruments (1994-1995), 12 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques [program note]
  • Vocal music and instrument(s)
    • After long silence for mezzo-soprano, clarinet, cello and 2 percussions (1989), Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
    • stage Maldoror for actor, children's choir, mixed choir and orchestra (1996-1997), 40 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
    • elec stage Le Jour d'Après for baritone, oboe, clarinet and electroacoustic device, for a choreography by Susan Buirge (1999-2000), 1 h 15 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
    • stage Rythmes d'auprès for an actor and bass flute (2005), 20 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
    • Vocables for mezzo-soprano and ensemble (2009), 15 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
    • stage Mazeppa monodrama for soprano and small ensemble (2017)
  • A cappella vocal music
    • Paroles for 12 mixed a capella voices (1981-1982), 12 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
    • L'Infinito for solo soprano (1997), 5 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
    • elec stage Sanguine for 3 singers and electroacoustic device, for a choreography by Nadine Hernu (1997), 45 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
    • Trio l'infinito for 3 voices (soprano and 2 mezzos) (1997), 8 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
    • elec ircam Le Jour d'avant music for a choreography by Susan Buirge, for fifteen singers and electroacoustic (1998-1999), 1 h 15 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques [program note]
    • Momenti di Dante for 6 mixed voices (1990-2000), 25 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
    • Géraldine K for solo soprano (2004), 6 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
    • Vers... five songs for 12 solo voices (2007), 20 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
    • elec stage Meltem for a dancer, a singer and electronics (2014)
  • Electronic music / fixed media / mechanical musical instruments
    • L'angélus music for the film by Gérard Frot-Coutaz, on a choreography by Odile Duboc (1987), 6 mn, Inédit
    • Jaillissements music for the film by Raoul Sangla, on a choreography by Elisabeth Schwartz (1990)
    • Chant du jour d'Après for octophonic diffusion (1999-2001), 16 mn, Inédit [program note]
    • elec Name of action for 8-track broadcasting (2000-2002), 26 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
    • elec Chant de l'Olympe for 8-track broadcast, in collaboration with Gualtiero Dazzi, stereo version (2003), 45 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
    • elec Thrène pour Laure for stereo broadcast (2005), 10 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
    • elec Le Roc-aux-Sorciers sound and visual fresco for spatialized diffusion (16 tracks) (2008), Inédit
    • elec stage Monade for a dancer and an interactive visual and musical device (2008)
  • Unspecified instrumentation
  • 2021
    • Walk for solo violin, 25 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
  • 2017
    • stage Mazeppa monodrama for soprano and small ensemble
  • 2014
    • La Ligne d'Ombre for large ensemble, 13 mn, Chester Music
    • elec stage Meltem for a dancer, a singer and electronics
  • 2012
  • 2011
  • 2010
    • Soleá for bassoon, horn, harp and double bass, 8 mn, Chester Music
  • 2009
    • Vocables for mezzo-soprano and ensemble, 15 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
  • 2008
    • Alto-Solo 1, 3 mn 37 s, Chester Music
    • elec ircam Alto-Solo 2 for viola and live electronics, 4 mn 56 s, Chester Music
    • elec Le Roc-aux-Sorciers sound and visual fresco for spatialized diffusion (16 tracks), Inédit
    • elec stage Monade for a dancer and an interactive visual and musical device
  • 2007
    • elec ircam Eclipsis déployé for six musicians and electronics, 40 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques [program note]
    • Vers... five songs for 12 solo voices, 20 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
  • 2005
  • 2004
    • Cello-solo for solo cello, 8 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
    • Géraldine K for solo soprano, 6 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
  • 2003
    • elec Chant de l'Olympe for 8-track broadcast, in collaboration with Gualtiero Dazzi, stereo version, 45 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
  • 2002
    • elec Name of action for 8-track broadcasting, 26 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
  • 2001
    • Chant du jour d'Après for octophonic diffusion, 16 mn, Inédit [program note]
    • elec Eclipsis for viola, trumpet and electronics, 8 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
    • stage Walk for a dancer and a violinist, for a choreography by Laurence Marthouret, 34 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
  • 2000
    • elec stage Le Jour d'Après for baritone, oboe, clarinet and electroacoustic device, for a choreography by Susan Buirge, 1 h 15 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
    • Momenti di Dante for 6 mixed voices, 25 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
  • 1999
    • elec ircam Le Jour d'avant music for a choreography by Susan Buirge, for fifteen singers and electroacoustic, 1 h 15 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques [program note]
  • 1998
    • Mots croisés for 6 groups of children and 6 percussionists, 30 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
  • 1997
    • L'Infinito for solo soprano, 5 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
    • stage Maldoror for actor, children's choir, mixed choir and orchestra, 40 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
    • elec stage Sanguine for 3 singers and electroacoustic device, for a choreography by Nadine Hernu, 45 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
    • Trio l'infinito for 3 voices (soprano and 2 mezzos), 8 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
  • 1995
  • 1994
    • Étude for 6 musicians and 3 dancers, for a ballet by Nadine Hernu, 45 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
    • Étude for 6 musicians, concert version, 25 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
  • 1991
  • 1990
    • Jaillissements music for the film by Raoul Sangla, on a choreography by Elisabeth Schwartz
    • Trio à cordes for violin, viola and cello, 13 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
  • 1989
    • After long silence for mezzo-soprano, clarinet, cello and 2 percussions, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
  • 1988
  • 1987
    • L'angélus music for the film by Gérard Frot-Coutaz, on a choreography by Odile Duboc, 6 mn, Inédit
  • 1982
    • Paroles for 12 mixed a capella voices, 12 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
  • 1981
    • Desairs for 2 oboes, bassoon and harpsichord, 10 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
  • 1979
    • Versets for 17 instruments, 12 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
  • 1978
    • Stretto for harp, 4 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
  • 1977
    • Failles for flute, viola, harp and orchestra, 14 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
  • 1976
    • Variants for 16 instruments, 10 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
  • 1973
    • Tresses for 12 solo strings, 8 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques
  • 1972
    • Mètres for flute, viola and harp, 7 mn, Ed. Musicales Transatlantiques

Bibliographie

  • Patrick MARCLAND, « Patrick Marcland, Vers… », dans Papier Musique n°21 – newsletter de Musicatreize, Marseille, avril/juin 2006, p.3 [chapitre « Les Créations »].
  • Patrick MARCLAND, « Musique en scène », conférence prononcée au Cdmc en 2007, sur le site du compositeur (lien vérifié en octobre 2021).
  • « Résidence à Metz de P. Marcland » publication de l’Arsenal de Metz, 1997.

Discographie

  • Patrick MARCLAND, « 8 solos » : Alto-Solo 2 ; Stretto ; Cello-Solo;Rythmes, Lumières, Espace;Alto-Solo 1;Saxo-Solo;The Dances;Walk Sonata, Christophe Desjardins : alto, Emmanuelle Ophèle : flûte basse, Frédérique Cambreling : harpe, Sona Khochafian : violon, Frédéric Stochl : contrebasse, Pierre Strauch : violoncelle, Joonatan Rautioloa : saxophone, 1 cd Sismal Records, 2012, SR006.
  • Patrick MARCLAND, Sanguine, Sylvie Deguy, Elisabeth Lagneau, mezzo-sopranos, Chantal Perraud, soprano, dir. Alain Altinoglu, 1 cd La Muse en Circuit, Alfortville, 1998, MU 753.
  • Patrick MARCLAND, Failles, Mètres, Paroles, Variants, Versets dans « Versets/Paroles », Nouvel Orchestre Philharmonique, dir. Gilbert Amy, Ensemble intercontemporain, dir. Jacques Mercier, Groupe Vocal de France, direction : Michel Tranchant, Trio Debussy, 1 cd Chamade, coll. MFA, 1996, CHCD 5636.
  • Patrick MARCLAND, Chant de l’Olympe, poème sonore, en collaboration avec Gualtiero Dazzi, pour diffusion octophonique, 1 cd Quai des Arts, 2003, QDAD 1.
  • Patrick MARCLAND, Stretto, « La Nouvelle Harpe », Marie-Claire Jamet, Disque ERATO, 1981, STU 71 160, Cassette SACEM CEJ 030, Coll. « Ecouter-jouer » [Pièces de Jolas, Taïra, Bancquart, Berio, Marcland, Ton-That].

Films chorégraphiques

  • L’angélus (1987), réalisation : Gérard Frot-Coutaz, chorégraphie : Odile Duboc, production : La Sept - FR3 - Musée d’Orsay, durée : 6 minutes.
  • Jaillissements (1990), réalisation : Raoul Sangla, chorégraphie : Elisabeth Schwartz, production : Lieurac Films - La Sept - FR3, durée : 30 minutes.

Sites Internet

(liens vérifiés en octobre 2021).