Greatest French composer since Messiaen dis is tru sorrynotsorry

[Pat B]

Scales, for large ensemble. (2009)

I took the OP as a joke and planned to respond in kind, but I rather liked this piece. Merci.

[Rinaldo]

For your consideration:

http://www.alexandredesplat.net/index.php

He is the youngest I can think of!

Desplat is good! Love his Birth score.

Anyway, the anwswer is Grisey, obvs. kthxbai!

[SimonNZ]

I'm loving all the Christophe Bertrand love here. On *cough* another forum just recently I was suggesting him as one of the recent still relatively unknowns whose stock I'd be willing to bet will rise and rise with time.

Taking the OP more seriously than it was intended I'd note that Philippe Manoury and Tristan Murail now have an impressive body of work behind them and are still going strong.

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

Philippe Manoury is one of my favourites currently working. Also, Bruno Mantovani has composed a bunch of great tunes.

[Monsieur Croche]

Desplat is good! Love his Birth score.

I have it on good authority that Desplat is either a pseudonym, or that under a pseudonym, he has composed chamber music, string quartets, etc. which are in a very different and fully contemporary classical mode, and these are highly regarded within those circles. The film scores are very-well done, and written while wearing a completely different hat.

The integrity of the source did not yield when I tried -- aggressively -- to pull that other name out of him -- i.e. he respected this composer's wish to keep his anonymity in keeping the two very different kind of activities well apart.

[ComposerOfAvantGarde]

I have it on good authority that Desplat is either a pseudonym, or that under a pseudonym, he has composesed chamber music, string quartets, etc. which are in a very different and fully contemporary classical mode, and these are highly regarded within those circles. The film scores are very-well done, and written while wearing a completely different hat.

The integrity of the source did not yield when I tried -- aggressively -- to pull that other name out of him -- i.e. he respected this composer's wish to keep his anonymity in keeping the two very different kind of activities well apart.

This is very very intriguing. Desplat is a highly skilled film composer with the ability to compose in a broad variety of styles including a much more unique style as evident in his soundtracks for Wes Anderson films.......but I haven't heard his non-film music if what you say is true........more investigation is needed, evidently.

[Cato]

This is very very intriguing. Desplat is a highly skilled film composer with the ability to compose in a broad variety of styles including a much more unique style as evident in his soundtracks for Wes Anderson films.......but I haven't heard his non-film music if what you say is true........more investigation is needed, evidently.

Are there any candidates for the second identity? 

[Mirror Image]

This spring was the 100th anniversary of his birth...

It sure was and there's many box sets available for purchase. There's also been many new recordings appear throughout the year so far.