Simon Basinger(born 1957) is a French musicologist and essayist.
Simon Basinger | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1957 |
| Nationality | French |
| Occupation(s) | Musicologist, essayist, producer, author |
Early life and education
editSimon Basinger was born inOujda,Moroccoin 1957, in a family that has had musicians over three generations.
He began his music studies at the Conservatory of Nanterre,Versailles,and then attended theConservatoire National Superieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris,where he studied musicology and composition. Meanwhile, he found employment in the theater, as an assistant to Pierre Debauche in theThéâtre Nanterre-Amandiers(1974).
After studying literature and philosophy, he obtained a professorship but decided instead to pursue a career in the world of art. He wrote a thesis on Kabuki and Noh theater, an essay onReynaldo Hahnwith Paul Dube (Montreal), and a biography ofAntônio Carlos Jobim.In 1975, he metRoland Petit,Erté,Yves Saint-Laurent,Michel ColombiertheCasino de Parisand was artistically inspired.
Artistic career
editIn 1975, he became the youngest assistant (staging) of the companyRenaud-BarraultalongsideMadeleine RenaudandJean-Louis Barraultin thethéâtre d'Orsay-gare d'Orsay in Paris. He worked withSimone Benmussaon the latest editions of Cahiers Renaud-Barrault, and metMarguerite Duras,Samuel Beckett,Marie-Helene Dasté, Catherine Eckerle, and Madeleine Milhaud.
He participated alongsideJean-Louis Barraultin the production ofChristopher ColumbusbyClaudelandMilhaud,andThus Spoke ZarathustrabyNietzsche.
In 2000, he worked with theArteTV network on the documentaryJean Genet...l'Autre(France Television), produced by Richard Trank in association with theSimon Wiesenthal Center(Los Angeles).
In 2002, in collaboration with the National Foundation for Gerontology, he produced a documentary on music and gerontology, entitledLe Jardin d'hiver( "The Winter Garden" ) forFrance 3TV Aquitaine and NGF.
In 2003, wrote the libretto of theKippurOratorio for narrator, soprano, tenor, children's choir and string orchestra, set to music by C. Max Jehuda Ewert of Germany for the Avant-garde Festival of Munich.
In 2004, he publishedLa French,a look at art in Europe for Francophone audiences in Florida.
In 2005, he worked at theMúsica Popular Brasileira(popular music of Brazil) exhibit at theCité de la Musiquein Paris, and published an essay onAntonio Carlos Jobimand his influence on music in Brazil. He wrote a series of poems for in English the American series Nexus about philosophy andraison d'être.
In 2006–2007, he worked with Issa Nyaphaga and Dezza Nguembock to promote the showsBignaandEsthetique & Handicapfor Afrik'DEZ'Arts, an international art association, in collaboration with the Cameroon Embassy in Paris.
In September 2007, he took theCahiers Renaud-Barraultcreated by Simone Benmussa and re-infused it with a modern adaptation. In September 2008, the creation ofJe Me Souviens de Toi( "I Remember You" ) was commissioned by Radio France, with text by Mathieu Carrière and music of Henryk Gorecki. A short version aired on the showContes du Jour et de la Nuitin France with Véronique Sauger as producer.
Poulenc
editSince 1990, Basinger has been passionate about the composerFrancis Poulenc.He has written a series of books calledCahiers de Francis Poulencwhich look at the life and work of the composer. The work is supported by the Association of Friends of Francis Poulenc and supervised byGeorges Prêtre,and by many artists.
Recent activities
editBasinger is a contributor to the publications of the Barcelona Opera, and writes a column called "Arts & Spectacles" for theSouth Florida Sun Sentinel.In 2010 he published a poetry collection calledÀ la manière de...( "How To..." ), a collection of poems written between the years 1980 and 2000, in the manner of Cocteau, Eluard, and Prévert, prefaced by Véronique Sauger, and a children's book titledUn Morceau de Ciel( "A Piece of Heaven" ) (éditions Eastern-Press).
Notes and references
edit- les Cahiers de Francis Poulenc,Editions Michel de Maule, Paris
- On the Japanese theatre - edition[not specific enough to verify]
- Editions Gallimard[not specific enough to verify]