Brice Pauset (born 17 June 1965 in
Besançon) is a French composer living in Germany.
Biography
Composer Brice Pauset was born in Besançon in 1965, and started his musical education by learning the piano, violin and harpsichord before turning to composition. In 1994 he was awarded a grant by the Marcel Bleustein-Blanchet Foundation and became a student at
IRCAM from 1994 to 1996. He studied with
Michel Philippot,
Gérard Grisey and
Alain Bancquart in Paris, and since then has pursued a dual career as a composer and performer of his own works as well as playing the early repertoire on the harpsichord and pianoforte and, occasionally, the modern piano.[1]
In France, Brice Pauset regularly works with Ircam, the Festival d'Automne in Paris and the Accroche-Note ensemble, the Ars Musica festival in Belgium, Klangforum-Wien in Austria, and, in Germany, the SWR (Baden-Baden) and WDR (Köln) radios, the Musik-Biennale Berlin and the Recherche ensemble in Freiburg im Breisgau. On occasion his works call for musicians unexpected in the realm of contemporary music, such as his Vanités which was first sung by countertenor Gérard Lesne with Il Seminario Musicale at Royaumont, Kontra-Sonate based on Schubert's Sonata op. 42 (D 845), which
Andreas Staier performed in June 2001 in Hagen and Paris, and Schlag-Kantilene based on Beethoven's violin concerto, with
David Grimal and the Philharmonic Orchestra of Radio-France, conducted by
Peter Eötvös (2010). He also, among many other ensemble or chamber works, completed a six-symphonies cycle (2001 to 2009). Arditti String Quartet, together with WDR Choir and Orchestra, under Matthias Pintscher's baton, premiered Das Dornröschen (2012) in Köln Philharmony (Germany). He has written many works for the pianist
Nicolas Hodges, including three books of Canons for solo piano, Symphony no. 4 - "Der Geograph", for piano and orchestra, and several etudes, the first of which was part of Hodges'
Studies Project.
He has taught composition at Musikhochschule Freiburg-im-Breisgau since 2010.[2] Since 2012, he has been Chief Executive of the
Ensemble Contrechamps in Geneva.[3]
Works
Brice Pauset's music is mostly published by Editions Lemoine, Paris,[4] works since 2014 being published by Edition Gravis, Berlin.[5]
Theatrical works
Das Mädchen aus der Fremde, musical theatre on Schiller's poems "Der Tanz" and "Das Mädchen in der Fremde" (2005) for actors, dancers, choir and large instrumental ensemble. Collaborative composition with
Isabel Mundry, published by Breitkopf
WONDERFUL DELUXE, Rêves et futilités d'une idôle (2014–15), for counter tenor, five voices and ensemble,[6] publ. by Ed. Gravis
STRAFEN, Opera for solo voices, 6-voice madrigal, and large orchestra, (2017-19), publ. by Ed. Gravis
Orchestral works
Six Canons - Musurgia combinatoria (2001) Orchestra
Kataster (2015–) for solo ensemble and orchestra, pub. Ed. Gravis
Kontra-konzert (2011) Pianoforte, orchestra and 3 percussionists
Konzertkammer (2010-20) Piano and chamber orchestra
Maos Frosch (2011) Orchestra
Schlag-Kantilene (2010) Violin and orchestra
Symphonie I - Les outrances nécessaires (2001) Piano and chamber orchestra
Symphonie III - Anima mundi (2005) Orchestra
Symphonie IV - Der Geograph (2006) Piano and orchestra (CD Aeon)
Symphonie V - Die Tänzerin (2008) Large orchestra (CD Neos)
Un-Ruhe (1. Heft) (2013–14) for soprano, harpsichord and three orchestra groups (20') Publ. Ed. Gravis
Ensemble music
arbeiten. Musik mit Hebewerk (2013–15) for ensemble (20') publ. Ed. Gravis
Autopsie de la foi (2012) Actor and ensemble
Canons (4) - Les Saisons (1992) Solo violin and 13 string instruments
Canons (8) (1998) Oboe d'amore and ensemble (CD Aeon)
Concerto I - Birwa (2002) Harpsichord and ensemble (CD Aeon)
Concerto II - Exils (2005) Solo percussion and 2 ensembles
Harpe de Mélodie (2008) 2 percussions and ensemble
In nomine broken consort book (2003) 8 instruments (CD Aeon)
Kinderszenen mit Robert Schumann (2003) Ensemble (CD Numérica)
Purcell Verschriebungen (2007) Violin and ensemble
Schwarzmärkte (2012) Ensemble
Theorie der Tränen: Atem (2009) Ensemble
Vier Variationen (2007) Ensemble (CD)
Vita Nova (sérénades) (2006) Violin and ensemble
Chamber music
Adagio dialettico (2000) Saxophone, percussion and piano (CD Assai - out of print)
Die Vorüberlaufenden (2003) for fl(picc,A-fl), B-clar, vc (10') Collaborative composition with
Isabel Mundry, published by Breitkopf
Eurydice (1998/2015) for flute and string trio (CD Stradivarius)
Les Voix humaines (2006) Clarinet, string trio and piano (CD Aeon)
Ljusare (1992) Violin and piano (CD Aeon)
Pluvia (1989) Violin, cello and piano
Quatuor à cordes I Mèden agen (2001) 2 violins, viola and cello
Quatuor à cordes II Das unglückselige Bewusstsein (1996) 2 violins, viola and cello
Quatuor à cordes III ...récit-écrit (2002) 2 violins, viola and cello
subito sempre (langsamer satz) - for Klaus Huber (2014) for fl, cl, pno, vn, vla, vc (8') publ. Ed. Gravis
Theorie der Tränen: Gesang (2007) Horn and piano
Theorie der Tränen: Schlamm (2008) Bass clarinet, violin, cello and piano (CD Stradivarius)