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Jean Wiener (orWiéner) (19 March 1896,14th arrondissement of Paris – 8 June 1982, Paris) was a French pianist and composer.
Wiener was trained at theConservatoire de Paris, where he studied alongsideDarius Milhaud, and worked withErik Satie. He then embarked on a career as concert impresario, composer and pianist. He was the house pianist at theGaya bar, and later atLe Boeuf sur le Toit. In 1924, a chance encounter withClement Doucet (who succeeded him at Le Boeuf) brought him into the world of popular music. Already a jazz enthusiast, Wiener found fame with Doucet in themusic hall s of Europe as a pianoduo,[1] under the name"Wiener et Doucet" in which they performed classical music, hot dance and jazz. The two friends recorded many duos between 1925 and 1937. After the end of the war in 1945, Wiener devoted himself fully to composition, notablyfilm music (working on more than 300), as well as the opening theme music forORTF's film history program "History speechless" (History without words).
He was of some significance in the promotion of new music, both by his friends in theLes Six (Milhaud, Poulenc, etc.), and by composers such as Schoenberg, Berg and Webern. His compositions involve the use of jazz informed by French wit and elegance.
Stéphane Wiéner (January 25, 1922-April 12, 1998, alto player in the Lespine Quartet) is his son (from his first marriage) ; his daughter (from his second marriage),Elizabeth Wiener, is an actress, singer and singer-songwriter.
Jean Wiener published his memoirs in 1978 asAllegro Appassionato.
Wiener composed a number of concertos which included aConcerto Franco-Americain notable for its influences of jazz, a concerto that he described asConcert Pour Orchestre Et Un Piano Principal (concerto for orchestra and a principal piano), and a concerto for accordion.
His chamber music includes a sonata for cello and piano. He set a selection ofRobert Desnos'Chantefables for voice and piano.
His music for solo piano includes
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