Jean Martinon facts for kids
Jean Francisque-Étienne Martinon (also known as Jean Martinon) was a talented French conductor and composer. He was born on January 10, 1910, and passed away on March 1, 1976. He led many famous orchestras around the world and wrote a lot of music.
Contents
Jean Martinon: A Life in Music
Early Life and Training
Jean Martinon was born in Lyon, France. He started his music education there. Later, he went to the famous Conservatoire de Paris. He studied with many great teachers. He learned composition from Albert Roussel. He studied conducting with Charles Munch and Roger Désormière. He also learned harmony from Vincent d'Indy and played the violin with Jules Boucherit.
War and Composing
Jean Martinon served in the French army during World War II. He was captured in 1940. While he was a prisoner, he continued to compose music. One of his famous works from this time is Chant des captifs (Song of the Captives). He also wrote four symphonies, four concertos, and other choral and chamber music.
Leading Orchestras
After the war, Martinon became a conductor for important orchestras. He led the Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire in Paris. In 1946, he also became the conductor of the Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine.
He worked with many other famous orchestras too. These included the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, where he was music director from 1963 to 1968. He also conducted the Düsseldorfer Symphoniker, the French National Orchestra, and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. Other groups he led were the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Concerts Lamoureux, and Het Residentie Orkest in The Hague.
A Special Connection with Ireland
In March 1946, Martinon visited Dublin, Ireland, for the first time. He conducted Debussy's La Mer, which was its first performance in Ireland. People called it "a musical event of real importance." Because of this success, Radio Éireann (Ireland's public broadcasting service) asked him to help them. He helped choose musicians and organize their new Radio Éireann Symphony Orchestra.
While in Dublin, Martinon also supported Our Lady's Choral Society. He conducted this choir in many important concerts with the radio orchestra. He also taught master classes in conducting and composition at the Summer School of Music.
His Musical Style
Martinon especially loved the music of French and Russian composers from the early 1900s. Famous musicians performed his works. Henryk Szeryng played the first performance of his violin concerto. Pierre Fournier played the first performance of his cello concerto.
He was also a National Patron of Delta Omicron. This is an international group for professional musicians.
Later Years
Sadly, Jean Martinon was diagnosed with bone cancer. This happened not long after he conducted the San Francisco Symphony. He led them in the first complete performances of Deryck Cooke's finished version of Gustav Mahler's tenth symphony. Jean Martinon passed away in Paris.
His Compositions
Jean Martinon was a very active composer. He wrote many different types of music. These included concertos for various instruments like violin, cello, flute, and saxophone. He also composed several symphonies and pieces for chamber groups. Some of his works were published, while others remained unpublished during his lifetime. His compositions show his talent and creativity as a musician.
See also
In Spanish: Jean Martinon para niños
