Éliane Radigue: A Life in Sound
Thibaut de Ruyter highlights composer Éliane Radigue, who was born in Paris in 1932, in anticipation of her upcoming performances: Occam Ocean & Naldjorlak at the Festival d'Automne on 22-23 November 2013, and Xavier Veilhan's Systema Occam during the Festival New Settings from 4-17 November 2013. Radigue, who studied piano and harp, relocated to Nice in the 1950s where she encountered key artists. After her move to New York in 1961, she returned to Paris in the late 1960s to work with Pierre Henry. Since 1969, she has produced electronic compositions, later shifting her focus to acoustic sounds. Her music is characterized by a focus on gradualness and subtle variations. Notable pieces include Naldjorlak (2005-2009) and Geelriandre (1972), with recent works such as Ψ847, Adnos I, II & III, and Naldjorlak I, II & III.
Key facts
- Éliane Radigue was born in 1932 in Paris.
- She studied piano and harp.
- She moved to Nice in the early 1950s with her husband Arman.
- She met Yves Klein, Pierre Restany, Martial Raysse, and Ben in Nice.
- She participated in the Studio d'Essai de l'ORTF.
- She moved to New York in 1961 and met Philip Glass, Steve Reich, and James Tenney.
- She returned to Paris in the late 1960s and assisted Pierre Henry.
- From 1969, she used tape recorders and an ARP 2500 synthesizer to create electronic music at home.
- In 2000, she completed Île re-sonante and switched to acoustic instruments.
- Her music is characterized by drone, slowness, duration, and minute changes.
- Occam Ocean & Naldjorlak will be performed at the Festival d'Automne at Collège des Bernardins on 22-23 November 2013.
- Xavier Veilhan's Systema Occam will be performed at Festival New Settings at Théâtre de la Cité internationale from 4-17 November 2013, a program of the Fondation Hermès.
- Geelriandre (1972) is a duo for synthesizer and prepared piano with Gérard Frémy.
- Recent releases include Ψ847 (Oral), Adnos I, II & III (Important Records), Naldjorlak I, II & III (Shiiin), and the book Éliane Radigue – Portraits Polychromes (INA/GRM).
Entities
Artists
- Éliane Radigue
- Arman
- Yves Klein
- Pierre Restany
- Martial Raysse
- Ben
- Philip Glass
- Steve Reich
- James Tenney
- Pierre Henry
- Xavier Veilhan
- Gérard Frémy
- John Cage
- Luc Ferrari
- Delia Derbyshire
- Pauline Oliveros
- Daphne Oram
- Mark Rothko
- Thibaut de Ruyter
- Manuel Holterbach
Institutions
- Festival d'Automne
- Collège des Bernardins
- Festival New Settings
- Théâtre de la Cité internationale
- Fondation Hermès
- Studio d'Essai de l'ORTF
- INA/GRM
- Oral
- Important Records
- Shiiin
Locations
- Paris
- France
- Nice
- New York
- United States
Sources
- artpress —