La Spirale, Le Zodiaque, and Mana : the convergences between Georges Migot and André Jolivet (1932-1937) = La Spirale, Le Zodiaque, et Mana : les convergences entre Georges Migot et André Jolivet (1932-1937)
This Master’s thesis explores the convergences between the French composers Georges Migot (1891-1976) and André Jolivet (1905-1974) during the 1930s, in terms of their respective musical aesthetics, compositional techniques, and involvement in the Parisian music scene. The aim is to provide a clearer picture of the relationship between Migot and Jolivet, to evaluate its influence upon their musical ideas and shared interest in the development of the concert society La Spirale, and to assess its significance in the wider sphere of French music. Currently, music history of this period is saturated with writings on Stravinsky, Ravel, and the Groupe des six. This study seeks to provide a better understanding of the other various musical manifestations in 1930s Paris.   The first chapter of this thesis consists of an examination of Migot and Jolivet’s respective aesthetics ideas and a discussion of their similarities. The second chapter explores a shared project of the two composers: the concert society La Spirale (1935-1937). While largely un-studied, this organization is known for having given rise to the group La Jeune France (1936-1942), an association formed by Olivier Messiaen, Daniel-Lesur, André Jolivet, and Yves Beaudrier, as the first three also took part in the executive of the former society. Through an exploration of La Spirale’s activities, this thesis not only provides a complete and revisited list of all works performed at its concerts, but also qualifies the involvement of Jolivet and Migot.   Finally, this research will conclude with a comparative analysis of select movements from solo piano collections by Migot and Jolivet, Le Zodiaque (1931-1932) and Mana (1935), respectively. While Migot uses a more modal language to convey his lyrism, Jolivet employs an emancipated post-tonal idiom. This analysis will take into consideration pitch and motivic structure (modal and serial practices) and temporal sequences. Moreover, it will provide an examination of the use of the Golden Mean and the Fibonacci series in some pieces.
André Jolivet Georges Migot La Spirale analysis Paris 1930s aesthetics Le Zodiaque Mana French Music Concert Society