Jacques Ibert

Ibert's music is characterized by luminous orchestral color, harmonic sophistication worn lightly, and a Gallic wit that can shift from sparkling humor to delicate lyricism in a heartbeat. His orchestration is a masterclass in clarity and economy — every instrument sings. He was stylistically independent, drawing on Impressionism, Neoclassicism, and jazz without belonging to any school.

Studied at the Paris Conservatoire under Fauré and was friends with the members of Les Six, though he never joined any group. He admired Ravel's craftsmanship and Debussy's color, and his lighter works share kinship with Poulenc's wit. His film music influenced and was influenced by the broader French cinema tradition.

His early works, including the brilliant orchestral triptych Escales (1922), established his colorist credentials. Through the 1930s and 40s he balanced concert music with acclaimed film scores and theatrical works. His later works grew somewhat more austere and concentrated while retaining their characteristic polish and transparency.

Ibert's Divertissement, one of the funniest pieces in the orchestral repertoire, began life as incidental music for a Labiche farce. The finale literally quotes the Wedding March while everything musically falls apart around it — a police whistle blows, wrong notes pile up, and the whole thing ends in cheerful chaos. It's the classical equivalent of a comedy sketch, and orchestras love playing it.

Ibert was a prolific and accomplished film composer who scored dozens of films, including Orson Welles's Macbeth (1948). His film work deserves to be studied alongside his concert music — the two worlds fed each other constantly.

Ibert is a reliable presence on orchestral programs — Escales and Divertissement are perennial favorites, and the Flute Concerto is standard repertoire. The Concertino da camera for saxophone is ubiquitous in the saxophone world. Despite this, much of his catalog (operas, ballets, film scores) remains underperformed. He's evergreen rather than trendy.