Biography
Jean Wiener (also spelled Wiéner) (19 March 1896, Paris 14th arrondissement – 8 June 1982, Paris) was a French pianist and composer.
Educated at the Conservatoire de Paris alongside Darius Milhaud and collaborating with Erik Satie, Wiener pursued a career as a concert impresario, composer, and pianist. He served as the resident pianist at the Gaya bar and later at Le Boeuf sur le Toit. In 1924, a fortuitous meeting with Clément Doucet, who succeeded him at Le Boeuf, introduced him to popular music. A jazz enthusiast, Wiener gained fame with Doucet as a piano duo named "Wiener et Doucet," performing classical pieces, hot dance numbers, and jazz throughout European music halls. The duo recorded extensively between 1925 and 1937. Following World War II, Wiener dedicated himself primarily to composition, especially film music, contributing to over 300 films, including the opening theme for ORTF's film history program "History Speechless" (History without Words).
Wiener played a notable role in promoting new music, supporting his friends from Les Six (such as Milhaud and Poulenc) and composers like Schoenberg, Berg, and Webern. His compositions are characterized by jazz influences blended with French wit and elegance.
His daughter, Elizabeth Wiener, is an actress, singer, and singer-songwriter.
In 1978, Jean Wiener published his memoirs titled Allegro Appassionato.
Source: Article "Jean Wiener" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
