Jean Tardieu facts for kids
Jean Tardieu (born in Saint-Germain-de-Joux, France, on November 1, 1903, and died in Créteil, France, on January 27, 1995) was a talented French artist, musician, poet, and writer for plays. He was known for his creative and often funny approach to theatre.
Life and Career
Jean Tardieu studied literature and began his career working for a publishing company. In the 1930s, he started publishing his own poetry collections. After World War II, Tardieu began working in radio. He became the head of dramatic programming and later the director of programs at France-Music. Many people believe that the high quality of French National Public Radio after the war was largely thanks to Jean Tardieu.
Tardieu's plays fit well with the ideas of the French New Theatre. He often used comedy to explore and challenge traditional theatre styles. He is frequently connected with the Theatre of the Absurd. This style of theatre uses strange or funny situations to show how life can sometimes seem meaningless or confusing.
His Works and Connections
Some of Jean Tardieu's writings have been translated into English. These include:
- The Underground Lovers, and other experimental plays
- Going...Going...Gone! The Client Dies Twice: Three Plays (Black Apollo Press, ISBN: 1-900355-21-3)
- The River Underground: Selected Poems & Prose
Parts of his work can be found in Rayuela (Hopscotch), a famous novel written by Julio Cortázar in 1963. Tardieu's work is in Chapter 152, which is called "The Abuse of Consciousness."
A line from his poem «Monsieur interroge Monsieur» is also quoted in Film Socialisme, a film by Jean-Luc Godard.
Jean Tardieu had many creative friends. The French composer Germaine Tailleferre, who was part of a group called Les Six, set several of Tardieu's poems to music. She used them in pieces like the "Concerto des Vaines Paroles" for Baritone Voice, Piano, and Orchestra. She also used them in a song cycle called "Trois Poèmes de Jean Tardieu" for Voice and Piano. Germaine Tailleferre had known Tardieu since she was a child.
He was also a close friend of Jean René Bazaine, a painter. Bazaine turned Tardieu's poem L'Ombre, la branche into a beautiful illustrated art book.
See also
In Spanish: Jean Tardieu para niños
