Biography
Georges Auric (15 February 1899 – 23 July 1983) was a French composer born in Lodève, Hérault, France. He was recognized as a member of Les Six, a collective of artists loosely connected with Jean Cocteau and Erik Satie. Before reaching the age of 20, Auric had already orchestrated and composed incidental music for several ballets and theatrical productions. He later enjoyed a long and notable career as a film composer.
Auric's musical journey began early, with a piano recital at the Société musicale indépendante when he was just 14. The following year, several of his songs were performed by the Société Nationale de Musique. Alongside his early professional achievements, he studied music at the Paris Conservatoire and composition under Vincent d'Indy at the Schola Cantorum de Paris, as well as with Albert Roussel. Recognized as a prodigy in both composition and piano performance, Auric became a protégé of Erik Satie during the next decade. Throughout the 1910s and 1920s, he was a key figure in Paris's avant-garde music scene, heavily influenced by Cocteau and the other members of Les Six.
Auric's early works were characterized by a rejection of the musical establishment and avoidance of referential material. Due to this stance and his association with Cocteau and Satie, music critic Henri Collet grouped him with Les Six, and he was also friends with artist Jean Hugo. His involvement included composing settings of poetry and other texts for songs and musicals. Along with the other five composers, he contributed to L'Album des Six. In 1921, Cocteau commissioned him to write music for the ballet Les Mariés de la tour Eiffel. Facing time constraints, Auric invited his fellow Les Six composers to contribute music; all agreed except Louis Durey. During this period, he composed his one-act opera Sous le masque (1927), while an earlier opera, La Reine de coeur (1919), has been lost. In 1927, he also contributed the Rondeau to the children's ballet L'Éventail de Jeanne, a collaboration involving ten French composers. In 1952, he took part in another collaborative project, the orchestral variations La Guirlande de Campra. Although Les Six was an informal and brief group, it was known for opposing the musical establishment of the era and promoting absurdism and satire; they rebelled equally against Wagner and Debussy. The music of Les Six, including Auric's contributions, reflected the distinct cultural atmosphere of Paris at the time, rejecting the international styles of Russian and German music as well as Debussy's impressionism and symbolism. Auric's later evolution into a populist composer was foreshadowed by many of Les Six's techniques and ideals, especially their incorporation of popular music and themes. Circus and dance hall music played an important role in their compositions and collaborations. Nevertheless, Les Six eventually parted ways, with Auric and others pursuing different artistic directions.
