Eugène Bozza
Encyclopedia
Eugène Joseph Bozza was a French
composer.
Bozza studied composition, conducting
, and violin
at the Paris Conservatoire. He is known primarily for his chamber music
. Bozza's work includes five symphonies, opera
s, ballet
s, and many pieces for brass ensemble. His larger works are rarely performed outside his native France
.
Bozza is particularly noted for his wind writing, having composed pieces for nearly all of the winds and strings during his academic career (including the saxophone
, for which his 1936 "Aria" is an important early composition). His chamber music for winds shows great familiarity with the capabilities of the instruments, often demanding a great deal of technical skill, without losing the expressive, melodic style typical of 20th century French chamber music; his music is part of the standard repertoire for several instruments. Examples include his Scherzo for woodwind quintet, a short and lighthearted piece that requires a fair bit of technical skill.
La légende de Roukmāni, a cantata
based on an Indian legend, won him the Prix de Rome
in 1934.
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
composer.
Bozza studied composition, conducting
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
, and violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
at the Paris Conservatoire. He is known primarily for his chamber music
Chamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
. Bozza's work includes five symphonies, opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
s, ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
s, and many pieces for brass ensemble. His larger works are rarely performed outside his native France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Career
Career coach, the director of the Ecole Nationale de Musique, in Valenciennes, from 1951 until his retirement in 1975.Works
Bozza is particularly noted for his wind writing, having composed pieces for nearly all of the winds and strings during his academic career (including the saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
, for which his 1936 "Aria" is an important early composition). His chamber music for winds shows great familiarity with the capabilities of the instruments, often demanding a great deal of technical skill, without losing the expressive, melodic style typical of 20th century French chamber music; his music is part of the standard repertoire for several instruments. Examples include his Scherzo for woodwind quintet, a short and lighthearted piece that requires a fair bit of technical skill.
La légende de Roukmāni, a cantata
Cantata
A cantata is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir....
based on an Indian legend, won him the Prix de Rome
Prix de Rome
The Prix de Rome was a scholarship for arts students, principally of painting, sculpture, and architecture. It was created, initially for painters and sculptors, in 1663 in France during the reign of Louis XIV. It was an annual bursary for promising artists having proved their talents by...
in 1934.