Benard Parmegiani was a French composer born October 27th 1927, died November 21st 2013 in Paris. He was one of the pioneers of electro-acoustic music. Throughout his 80-strong corpus of concert pieces, he experimented with new and original production techniques to highlight the multiple aspects of the nature of sound. He also wrote “applied” works for radio, television, cinema, ballet, advertising and the stage, as well as opening and end credits and jingles such as the one for Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport.
His father, an editor at Editions Gautier-Languereau and author of a few of the Bécassine comic strips, died two months after Bernard was born. Following his mother’s second marriage, Parmegiani grew up between two pianos – that of his virtuoso father-in-law, and that of his teacher mother. From his bedroom he heard on one side the daily scales and Clementi sonatas, and on the other the pianistic repertory of Fauré and Debussy. Thorough ear training which would acquaint him with the state of listening essential to his composition work later.
Friday 23.2.24