Pierre Max Dubois


Pierre Max Dubois, sometimes given as Pierre-Max Dubois was a French composer of classical music, conductor, and music educator. He was a student of Darius Milhaud, and though not widely popular, was respected. He brought the ideas of Les Six, of which his instructor was a member, into the mid-1900s. This group called for a fresh artistic perspective on music. The music of Dubois is characteristically light hearted with interesting harmonic and melodic textures.

Life and career

Born in Graulhet in the Tarn department of Southern France, Pierre Max Dubois studied at the Paris Conservatoire from 1949 through 1953 where he was a pupil of Jean Doyen and Darius Milhaud. His first professional commission, Suite humouristique, happened while he was a student at the age of 19.
He was awarded the Prix de Rome in 1955 for the cantata Le rire de Gargantua. Most of his works are for woodwinds, especially for saxophone. His Quartet for Saxophones in F premiered in 1962. Another of his works is the 'Pieces characteristiques en forme de suite', written for Alto Saxophone with piano accompaniment. In 1964 he was awarded the Grand Prix of the city of Paris for his strings ensemble piece Symphonie-sérénade. That same year he began working as a conductor; and in that capacity toured Belgium, Canada, France, and the United States.
While primarily a composer of instrumental pieces, Dubois also composed music for the stage. These include the ballets Impressiones foraines, Le docteur Ox, and Hommage à Hoffnung ; and the operas Comment causer, Les Suisses, and Le ruban merveilleux.
Dubois was a professor of analysis at the Paris Conservatoire. He died in Rocquencourt in the Île-de-France region of North Central France on August 29, 1995.

Selected compositions

Titles and dates taken from Gerard Billaudot.
PianoImpressions foraines, arranged for two pianos in 1965"Chutt", for four pianos Histoires de piano La maison d’à côté Voulez-vous jouer au cirque? Bébé rose, for piano four-hands Sonate Dix préludes
Harpsichord Partita pour Clavecin ou Piano / Prelude - Pavane - Toccata
FluteClassiquement vôtre, for flute and guitar Tic-Tac, for flute and piano Ensuite?, for flute and piano Histoires de flûte, for flute and piano
RecorderA l'ancienne, for soprano recorder and harpsichord Turlututu, for beginning soprano recorder and guitar or piano Les tricoteuses, perpetual motion for soprano and alto recorder and keyboard
OboeHistoires de hautbois, for oboe and piano Hommage à un ami, for oboe and piano
Clarinet18 duos progressifs, for two clarinetsVoltage, suite for bass clarinet solo
Bassoon
  • Histoires de basson, Volumes 1 and 2 for 3 bassoons, Volume 3 for 4 bassoons
  • Aria et ruade, for bassoon and piano
  • Mélopée, for bassoon and piano
  • 3 nouvelles brèves, for bassoon and piano
  • Sonatine-tango, for bassoon and piano
SaxophoneSonate-fantaisie, Duo concertant 2 mini romances, for alto or tenor sax and piano Prélude et rengaine, for alto or tenor sax and piano Vieille chanson et rondinade, for tenor sax and piano Olga-valse, for alto sax and piano Respirations, for alto sax and piano Métamorphoses, symphony for soprano, alto, tenor and baritone sax Moments musicaux, for alto sax and instrumental ensemble, with version for alto sax and piano L’imprévu, for sax quartet 3 petites sonates A «Scarlatti», for sax quartet Come back, for alto sax and piano Dix préludes imaginaires, for sax quartet and orchestra Le récit du chamelier, for alto sax Mominettes, for alto sax 16 études brillantes, for all the saxophones 16 études techniques, contemporary studies 17 études dansantes, for all the saxophones 48 études faciles et progressives, for all the saxophones 16 études de virtuosité, for all the saxophones 20 études progressives en forme de duos, contemporary studies 24 études caprices, for all the saxophones 12 études modernes, for all the saxophones 16 études variées, for all the saxophones Bouquet d’hommages, for alto sax and piano La gremellite, for alto sax and piano Deuxième concerto, for alto sax and orchestra, with version for alto sax and piano Lucienne et Cécilienne, for saxophone orchestra
Trombone Cortége, for trombone and piano
Double BassLe Gai Cascadeur, for double bass and piano Histories de Contrabasse, for double bass and piano
Wind SextetSinfonia da Camera, for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Bassoon, and Horn