Finzi, Graciane

Finzi, Graciane, French composer and teacher; b. Casablanca, Morocco, July 10, 1945. She entered the Paris Cons, in 1955 and studied with Joseph Benvenuti (piano) and Barraine and Aubin (theory), taking premiers prix in harmony (1962), counterpoint and fugue (1964), and composition (1969). From 1975 to 1979 she served as director of music of the Festival de la Defense. In 1979 she became a teacher at the Paris Cons. She was awarded prizes from the SACEM in 1982 and 1989, and her opera Pauvre Assassin was awarded the SACD Prize in 1992.

Works

DRAMATIC Songs for 3 Dancers and Instruments (1975); Avis de recherche, music theater (1981); 3 Operas droles (1984); Pauvre Assassin, opera (1987; Strasbourg, Jan. 1992). ORCH.: Edifice, violin concerto (1976); De la terre a la vie for Clarinet and Strings (1979); II etait tant defois, cello concerto (1979); Trames for 26 Instruments (1981); Concerto for 2 Violins and Orch. (1981); Soleil vert (1984); Cadenza, bassoon concerto (1987); Concerto for Flute, Harp, and Orch. (1989); Univers de lumiere, symphonic poem for Reciter and Orch. (1990–91; Seville, Sept. 30, 1992); Sud (1992); Terre, mer, soleil (1993). CHAMBER: Toujours plus for Organ and Harpsichord (1975); 4 ttudes for String Quartet (1976); Saxophone Quartet (1982); Free-Quartet for Piano Quartet (1984) and II for Oboe, English Horn, Bassoon, and Harpsichord (1988); Phobie for Violin (1990); Ainsi la vie for Viola (1991); Engrenage for Brass Quintet (1992); Interferences for String Sextet (1992); 9’30 for Bass Clarinet and Cello (1994). VOCAL: Processus I for Soprano, Flute, Cello, and Piano (1972) and II for Voice and Double Bass (1986); Quand les etoiles for 6 Voices (1990); La robe de I’univers for Bass-baritone and Piano (1994).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire