ANDRÉ ALMURO - POÉSIE DE LA CRUAUTÉ (1966)

Disques Mouloudji - EMZ13514
André Almuro (1927-2009) was a painter, poet and composer, member of the Pierre Schaeffer's GRM and friend of the french surrealist scene. He composed some of the best radio-adaptations of french litterature (Artaud, Genet, Hugo for example).
He worked with Mouloudji (political singer, Boris Vian's collaborator) and discovered the young Pierre Clémenti before he became the french cinema's black star.
More information above (from the Almuro's Facebook page).
In this record, Almuro composed the music for the texts by Antonin Artaud, Jean Genet, Jean Cocteau, Federico Garcia Lorca and himself.
Very strange and dark matter. Highly recommended for the fans of Jacques Doyen, Musique Concrete, Spoken World and AliceRabbit !

Tracklist
A1 le theatre de la cruaute (artaud) 3:34
A2 exode (almuro) 5:29
A2 phonolithe (almuro) 7:52
A3 l'enfant stanton (lorca) 6:31
A4 le camarade (cocteau) 2:28
A4 un chant d'amour (genet) 2:53
B1 garde a vous au couchant (laronde) 2:33
B3 androgyne asiatique adolescent (almuro) 3:11

another ripp by our kindly Rain : RAR/320/RS

1927: Birth in Paris. Piano studies since childhood.
1944: Discovers A. Gide, J. Cocteau, L-F. Céline, H. de Montherlant, Max Jacob, T. Tzara and the Surréalistes, as well as J-P. Sartre, H. Micheaux, J. Dubuffet, I. Isou and the Lettristes, Picasso and Stravinsky. 1945: Founds the Mouvement Sensationniste with a friend.
1946: Exhibits his paintings, drawings and poems. Meets Léon Pierre-Quint (publisher of the Surréalistes and of the Grand Jeu) who will become his first maitre-de-pensée. Discovers Antonin Artaud. Conversations with Arthur Adamov and Roger Blin.
1947: Writes and realizes his first radiophonic work ANDROGYNE-ASIATIQUE-ADOLESCENT (Radio Genève).
1948: First program at the Club d'Essai de la Radiodiffusion Française: Les garçons de verre, including his first attempts at musical research.
1949: Develops his musical and radiophonic activities at the RDF/Essai, independently from P. Schaeffer and P. Henry. Meets A. Gide.
1951: Meets J. Cocteau, J. Genet; adapts their works for the radio. Collaborates with Maurice Jarre: Herédité. First contact with Pierre Schaeffer. First musical composition: L'ENFANT POÉTE.
1952: Meets André Breton and adapts Nadja for the radio. Hard work with Bernard Parmegiani. Realizes GRAFFITI with him.
1956: Permanent studio for musical researches at RTF. Concerts in London and Edinburgh. Makes friends with Jules Supervielle and Eugène Ionesco. Soundtracks for Maurice Pialat and Claude Lelouch.
1957: Meets Pierre Clementi. Composes the music for Picasso's Le désir attrapé par la queue and Ionesco's Le salon de l'automobile.
1958: Realizes Les enfants de misère by 15-year-old P. Clementi. Joins Schaeffer's Groupe de Recherches Musicales.
1959: EROSTRAUSS. CROQUIS AUX PERCUSSIONS. Concerts-shows at the Centre d'Etudes de Radio-Télévision Française. Realizes Clementi's Le deuxième monde.
1960/65 : Founds the research group Poème électronique. Meets Julien Gracq, Ernst Jünger: adaptations of and music for their works. Works on some texts with Maria Casares. Composes PROLÉGOSPHÈRES, MANTRA 107, VA ET VIENT, PHONOLITE: (LP record on Adès) ; ENVOL and AMBITUS (LP record on BAM).
1966: LP record Avec with Colette Magny. Week-long bradcast on André Gide. Last meeting with André Breton; in charge of the hommage from France Culture at his death. LP record Poésie de cruauté.
1968: LP record Van Gogh, le suicidé de la société (Artaud). LP record Le condamné à mort (Genet).
Etc. See Almuro's facebook page for more