Gérard Masson

Gérard Masson (born 12 August, 1936, in Paris) is a French composer. Biography Gérard Masson grew up listening to jazz, played jazz trumpet, and began studying the piano in 1945, but had no formal training in composition until, after military service in Algeria, he returned to France in 1962. He approached Max Deutsch, who sent Masson to one of his students for lessons in counterpoint. At about this same time, he made the acquaintance of Pierre Souvtchinsky, who introduced him to Igor Stravinsky. Masson brought to his meeting with Stravinsky his first orchestral score, Dans le deuil des vagues, in which Stravinsky showed considerable interest. When, upon returning to the United States, Stravinsky was asked by a reporter whether he had heard any young musicians, Stravinsky replied, “none at all, except Gérard Masson”. It was Souvtchinsky who suggested that Masson go to Cologne to study with Karlheinz Stockhausen, which he did in 1965–66 and again in 1966–67. He was particularly impressed by Momente, about which Stockhausen lectured at the Cologne Courses for New Music in those years. Style and technique Though an admirer of Stockhausen’s music, Masson’s attitude toward serialism is