Anderson, L (2015) Musique concrète, French New Wave cinema, and Jean Cocteau's 'Le Testament d'Orphée' (1960). Twentieth-Century Music, 12 (2). 197 - 224. ISSN 1478-5722
Abstract
Jean Cocteau (1889–1963) is recognized as one of France's most well-known film directors, directing six films over a thirty-year period. This article argues that his film soundscapes occupy a unique position in the history of French film sound, providing a key link between contemporary experimentation in art music and the sonic experimentation of the New Wave filmmakers. This argument is best exemplified by Le Testament d'Orphée (1960), which represents the apotheosis of Cocteau's artistic output as well as the stage at which he was most confident in handling the design of a film soundscape. Indeed, Cocteau was comfortable with the selection and arrangement of sonic elements to the extent that his regular collaborator Georges Auric became almost dispensable. Nevertheless, Auric's willing support enriched the final film and Cocteau created a highly self-reflexive work through his arrangement of the composer's music with pre-existing musical borrowings. Cocteau's engagement with contemporary developments in film and art music can be heard throughout this film, highlighting his position as a poet simultaneously establishing himself in the canon of art and looking to the future.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
---|---|
Authors/Creators: |
|
Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2015, Cambridge University Press. This is an author produced version of a paper accepted for publication in Twentieth-Century Music. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Dates: |
|
Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures (Leeds) > School of Music (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 28 Aug 2015 14:25 |
Last Modified: | 20 Oct 2015 16:34 |
Published Version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1478572215000031 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Cambridge University Press |
Identification Number: | 10.1017/S1478572215000031 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:89347 |