Jacques Ibert
20th Century · 1890–1962
Jacques Ibert made elegance and wit a career. Born in Paris in 1890, he studied at the Paris Conservatoire, served in the navy during the First World War, and in 1919 won the Prix de Rome, France's top composition prize. He later returned to Rome for many years as director of the French Academy there, becoming as much a distinguished administrator as a composer.
He refused to commit to any one style, writing operas, film scores, concertos, and light orchestral works with equal polish. His impressions of Mediterranean ports, drawn partly from his navy travels, became Escales, and his Divertissement, adapted from music for a farce about a straw hat, is one of the funniest pieces in the orchestral repertoire, complete with police whistle.
Start with Escales for the atmosphere, then Divertissement for the comedy. The Flute Concerto shows the same lightness put to virtuoso use.
63 works in the catalog, across 5 genres. Log what you listen to with Opus, the classical music journal for iPhone.
Chamber
- 2 Interludes suivi de Carillion, for flute, violin, and harpsichord
- 2 Movements for 2 Flutes, Clarinet, and Bassoon
- 3 Pièces brèves, for wind quintet
- 5 Pièces en trio, for oboe, clarinet, and bassoon
- 6 Pièces, for harp
- Aria, for solo instrument and piano
- Ariette, for guitar
- Capriccio, for chamber ensemble
- Caprilena, for solo violin
- Entr'acte, for flute and harp
- Française, for solo guitar
- Ghirlarzana, for solo cello
- Histoires, for saxophone and piano
- Impromptu, for trumpet and piano
- Jeux, sonatina for flute and piano
- Le jardinier de Samos Suite, for chamber ensemble
- Pastoral, for 4 pipes
- Piece, for flute
- Souvenir, for string quartet and piano
- String Quartet
- The Gaseous Water's Saleswoman, for banyan and violin
- Trio for violin, cello, and harp
Keyboard
- Francaise
- Histoires, 10 pieces for piano 4-hands
- L'espiègle du village de Lilliput
- Les rencontres
- Le vent dans les ruines
- Petite suite in 15 images
- Pièce romantique
- Scherzetto
- Toccata sur le nom d'Albert Roussel
- Valse, ballet movement
Orchestral
- Divertissement
- Escales, "Ports of Call"
- Flute Concerto
- Bacchanale
- Bostoniana
- Cello Concerto
- Concertino da camera, for alto saxophone and 11 instruments
- Concerto, for cello and 10 wind instruments
- Diane de Poitiers: Suite no. 1
- Diane de Poitiers: Suite no. 2
- Féerique in E Symphonic poem
- Golgotha
- Hommage à Mozart
- La ballade de la geôle de Reading, "The Ballad of Reading Gaol"
- Louisville-concert
- Macbeth
- Ouverture de fête
- Suite symphonique, "Paris"
- Symphonie concertante for Oboe and String Orchestra
- Symphonie marine
Stage
- Don Quichotte Film score
- Felicie Nanteuil Film score
- La licorne Ballet
- Persée et Andromède Opera
Vocal
- 2 Steles orientees, for voice and flute
- Aria
- Chansons de Don Quichotte, for voice and piano
- Chant de folie, for voice and piano
- La berceuse du petit Zébu, for 3 voices and female or children's chorus
- Le petit âne blanc, for voice and piano
- Suite élisbéthaine, for female voices and orchestra
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