Maurice Jarre - Unpublished French Film Music

Our program recreates the core of four of the first scores that Maurice Jarre (1924-2009) wrote for features films in his native France. The movies are directed by Georges Franju (Spotlight on the Murderer, Judex), Serge Bourguignon (Sundays and Cybele) and Frédéric Rossif (The Animals).

When listening to this music, one realizes that Jarre already knew the tricks of the trade and that he mastered a wide variety of genres, an essential asset for his future international career. What is perhaps the most striking appears to be the melodic richness of numerous themes. Just like Georges Delerue, who was one year younger than him, Maurice Jarre could create memorable tunes with an enviable facility.

Already recognized for his reconstruction of Delerue's works, Robert Lafond again put his great talent in the service of this other giant of film music. Produced with the most advanced sampling technology available, his versions faithfully reproduce Maurice Jarre's melodies and original orchestrations, whether they consist of a few soloists or large symphonic ensembles, purely acoustic sounds or electronic ventures typical of the period.

Packed with illustrations, the bilingual 20-page booklet features track by track liner notes by producer Clément Fontaine and an introduction by Jacques Hiver, the great European specialist of Maurice Jarre and himself producer of an important part of Jarre's early works in France.