Jean-Pierre Robert
Quick Facts
Biography
Jean-Pierre Robert (born 22 December 1956, Tours, France) is a French double bass player and author.
In 1979, first prize of double bass of superior national Conservatoire of Paris, he becomes a musician of Ensemble l'Itinéraire steered by Michaël Levinas. He stays there until 2003, and has numerous collaborations with Ensemble Intercontemporain of Pierre Boulez, while claiming a " almighty need to dislearn ".
It is in 1983 when he shows itself by his soloist play, creator of contemporary musics, on the scenes of Georges-Pompidou center ( Paris ) and festivals of Avignon, La Rochelle, Darmstadt playing Georges Aperghis, Iannis Xenakis, Horațiu Rădulescu.
In 1986, begin the writing of: " modes of playing the double bass " (éd. Musica Guild), within the framework of a collaboration with IRCAM, a stake with flat of the playing techniques of his instrument where appear its nearness of the concepts of instrumental body, dance body, to listen as a pictorial and plastic sensibility.
In 1995, it is these particular searches(researches) which develop with GRAME of Lyon ( France ) in the musics with electronics - the electronics lived as extension of the instrumental body - and the creations of Kaija Saariaho, James Giroudon in Lisbon, Geneva, Madrid; then, with domain of Kerguéhennec in 1996 as regards the plastic and theatrical dimension
It is the period of his " Installation art" with the musics of Georges Aperghis and John Cage (in the Georges-Pompidou Center) with his " 1 Double bass - 1 Human " being with the musics of James Dillon, Brian Ferneyhough, Salvatore Sciarrino, Giacinto Scelsi, etc.
It is this work on John Cage that opens in 2004 the next period of the works of "Juxtapositions" (just "Â" position) which operates opened forms - Bruno Maderna, Karim Haddad, Sylvano Bussotti - in the highly rated of written works or bruitistes actions; in juxtapositions also of musical styles with musicians as Dominique Pifarely, or arts with the dance, the text with Valère Novarina. Denying a subordination of the arts, his "Juxtapositions" reveal a humanist dimension of its musical act: "This idea of Juxtaposition takes back the situation of our human beings first relations on earth: only juxtapositions of our bodies, our times, our dynamics, our punctual agglutinations; even dressed by the civilization until the transcendence. ".
First performances works
- Georges Aperghis : Récitations pour contrebasse, 1983.
- Ana Maria Avram : Axe 7, 2005.
- Philippe Boivin
- Zab ou la Passion selon St Nectaire, 1982 ;
- 5 Algorithmes
- Aldo Brizzi : Barravento. Cb+sax solo, ens. instr. et électr, 1999.
- Gualtiero Dazzi : Contra Suberna. Vx+ Cb solo, orchestre de chambre, 1998.
- James Giroudon : Jean-François Estrager : Unes, voix de basse. Cb et électr., 1995.
- Ramon Gonzalez Arroyo : De la distance, Cb et électr., 1994.
- Karim Haddad
- Ce qui dort dans l'ombre sacrée. Cb et électr., 1996 .
- I can only say… Cb, ens. instr. et électr, 2000.
- Pierre-Alain Jaffrenou : Tentation de l’anachorète. Cb et électr., 1995.
- Pierre Jodlowski : Vola. Cb et électr., 1995.
- Philippe Laval : Inox : érable. Cb et 2 sax., 1998.
- Michael Levinas : Le chant de l'arche. Cb et résonateurs., 1999.
- Martin Matalon : La rosa profunda, 1992.
- François Narboni
- Impromptu d'Ohio. Cb et Vx ., 1995.
- Les Animals. Cb, ens. instr. et électr., 1998.
- Gérard Pape : Fleuve du désir. Cb et électr., 1994.
- Franck Pecquet : Kaleïdosonic. Cb et électr., 1984.
- Horatiu Radulescu
- Ys Valley. Cb et électr., 1983.
- Incandescent sereine. Vx+cor+fl+cb., 1983.
- Awakening infinity. Vx+cor+fl+cb et orch., 1983.
- Azzuro profondo dello sguardo II, 2006.
- Jacques Rebotier
- Brève pour contrebasse, 1990
- Brève pour Trompette Marine, 1989.
- Étienne Rollin : Space Birds. Cb et électr., 2006.
- Vitor Rua : Bar Mitzvah à 3, 2006.
- Kaija Saariaho : Folia. Cb et électr., 1995.
- Daniel Teruggi : Trio. Sx+basson+cb., 1995.
- Yi Xu : Tui. Cb et électr., 1992.
Discography
- 1998 CD Radio France : Jacques Rebotier
- 1990 CD C. G. Pompidou IRCAM : Les années 90
- 1992 CD C. G. Pompidou : Martin Matalon
- 2004 INA Archives GRM : R. Gonzalez Arroyo
- 2008 CD AMESON, réf ASCP 0712 : " Une contrebasse, un humain " Musiques avec électronique : K. Saariaho, M. Matalon, P. Jodlowski, PA. Jaffrenou, G. Giroudon/JF. Estager, E. Rolin, K. Haddad.
Filmography
- Serge Gauthier-Pavlov :
2005 Arte Viva : 1 Contrebasse-1 Humain. JP Robert, Ph. Boivin.
2005 Arte Viva : 4 Havres Exquis N°1. Am Avram, H Radulescu, J Druckman.
2006 Arte Viva : 4 Havres Exquis N°2. J. Rebotier, K. Saariaho, S. Bussoti.
2007 Arte Viva : 4 Havres Exquis N°3. J. Dillon, G. Scelsi.
Writings
- 1991 "1contrebasse, 1humain, Jean-Pierre Robert". Jean-Pierre Robert/Freeze Delimbe. "Textual and graphic creation".
- 1995 Musica Guild : Les Modes de jeu de la Contrebasse, un dictionnaire de sons ("Modes of playing the double bass, a dictionary of sounds"). Bilingual, with 2 cd of Musical examples.
- 2008 Labellemusique. "1 contrebasse- 1 humain. Essai".