BIOGRAPHY

 

HERVE LEGRAND

 

Andante piano et orchestre à cordes


Born 1959 in Paris. Composer and pianist. After firstly approaching music through the conservatory,Principal french teachers ( Françoise Labroquere /pno,Sabine Lacoaret / solfegio and Michel Merlet /Hmy) he left for the United States in 1977, where he continued his musical studies at Berklee College of Music in Boston under the direction of Herb POMOROY and Michael GlBBS. Upon graduating (1980) he won first prize in the John Lewis competition (Boston USA). In 1983 he continued his apprenticeship in contemporary music composition at the Mannes School in New York under the direction of David Tsimpidis. Returning to France (in 1985) he won the first prize from the French Foundation for Musical Composition.

 

In addition to the private tuition in piano and composition which he has given throughout his career, he has organised and directed many music writing workshops.

 

Hervé LEGRAND's musical compositions rotate around three major axes: contemporary music, jazz and film music.

 

CONTEMPORARY MUSIC

There are two distinct periods in his production of contemporary musical works. During the first decade, 1983-1993, he wrote several pieces, inducing:

“Piece for strings” (17’), “concerto for piano, violin and small orchestra” (18'). "concerto for violin and orchestra” (30’). “andante for piano and cello” (11’) and “Attila”, piece for solo piano (12’30”).

Since 1993 his writing has developed towards pieces of longer duration, notably: “Musik pour Park”, for string orchestra, choir and piano (25’), “Trivialis”-. piece for orchestra (25’). -The Saint-Etienne Contemporary Orchestra Ensemble offered him the possibility to attempt a meeting between jazz and contemporary music. and “Le Voyage Noir", concerto for chamber orchestra and soloist (30'). was born from this experiment, with Hervé LEGRAND himself taking the solo part at the piano.

It was at the heart of the amphitheatre of the Lyon Opera that he had the opportunity of presenting a sketch version of a work entitled “Les Jours, a pocket opera” for small orchestra, two voices. narrator and dance (1h15). The finished work was presented at the Soucy festival in 2002. Hervé’s latest major work is an Octet of forty five minutes length finished in 2005.

-2005 Octet (Concerto grosso) for wind quintet , vln solo,vlc solo and tuned percussions .

-2006 String trio with voice. 13 ‘

-2008 / Piano solo with string  quintet(Chamber concerto) 20’

-2009 / Grande sonate d’église ( Piano /Viola)

 

JAZZ

His musical work around jazz first met its public in 1985 with the release of a solo album “Brouillard sur la mer” (with enthusiastic cover notes by Quincy JONES). A series of concerts was to follow, firstly solo, and later at the Lucernaire theatre in Paris and at the festival of Avignon in trio. It was as composer that he was invited for the 1990-1991 season by the Mossoviet theatre in Moscow, where he presented the musical comedy “A la folie Prévert”.

In 1992 Hervé LEGRAND composed and directed two titles for the Jazzman Alex BUGNON's album (New York CBS-Sony)

From 1994 to 1997 he dedicated himself more particularly to writing and teaching work, which allowed him to produce a composition treatise which he was to put into practice over the subsequent four years within the framework of his writing workshops.

In 1999 he returned to stage music with the piece “Noel sur la lune” (T. Paillard, V. Barral).

In 2001 he recorded an album entitled “Voyelles” with the bass player Benoît CANCOlN, a duo which was to play in festivals over the following years (Lacadiere d'azur. Jazz à Grenoble).

Hervé recorded a piano solo album “Récits” released in 2005 and a music DVD, “Truck System” to be released in 2006.

 

FILM MUSIC

Hervé LEGRAND's musical creativity has also found full expression in the exacting world of cinema. Since 1987 he has collaborated on several feature films. notably: “L’Ombre du Fou” (1988) and “Retour à la vie” (1999) by Pascal BAEUMLER. “Quiet days in Hollywood” (1996) by Josef RUSNAK, "Schizophrenia” (2001) by Leslie WIENER and Peter SCHNALL, and “Papillons de nuit” by John PEPPER (2002).  The Teacher by Leslie Wierner (2010)

 

DISCOGRAPHY:



- « Vif Argent »  Piano seul dédié à Rémi Fraisse    2015

- «Beyond the land of Widsom Jazz Trio 2014

- «Douze cahiers vibraphone clarinette  /  Andante piano et orchestre à cordes / quintette à vents 2011

  1. -«Grande Sonate d’église ,

  2. -  Miracle Mile  2010

- "Récits", L’Astronome 2005.

- "Voyelles"; Sergent Major Compagnie. 2003

- "Concertino pour piano, violon et orchestre", "Pièce pour cordes en 3 mouvements".

-  Published in 1989 by E.M.& and re-edited in 1994 in the collection “Discover International”.

- "A la folie Prévert": original musical comedy based on texts by Jacques Prévert, 1990, ADDA.

- "Brouillard sur la mer"; solo album, 1985, RCA.

- "Retour à la vie", DVD, Pascal Baeumler (Carrere).

 

Other talents:     Arranger, Orchestrator

Composer, Film

Musician, Piano