Yann Tiersen

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Yann Tiersen
Portrait of Yann Tiersen.
Portrait of Yann Tiersen.
Background information
Birth name Yann Tiersen
Born 23 June 1970 (1970-06-23) (age 37)
Origin Brest, Brittany, France
Genre(s) Minimalist, Avant-Garde
Occupation(s) Musician, Songwriter
Instrument(s) Piano, Violin, Accordion, Guitar, Toy piano, Voice and various others.
Years active 1995 - Present
Label(s) Virgin/EMI
Website Official website

Guillaume Yann Tiersen (born 23 June 1970) is a French musician and composer known internationally for composing the score to the Jean-Pierre Jeunet movie Amélie[1][2]. His music is recognized by its use of a large variety of instruments in relatively minimalist compositions, often with a touch of either European classical music or french folk music, using primarily the piano, accordion or violin together with instruments like the melodica, xylophone, toy piano, ondes martenot, harpsichord and typewriter. He has been compared to musicians Chopin, Erik Satie, Phillip Glass and Michael Nyman [3].

Contents

[edit] Biography

Tiersen was born in Brittany, France, in 1970 and received classical training at several musical academies, including those in Rennes, Nantes, and Boulogne[4]. Before releasing scores under his own name, Tiersen recorded background music for a number of plays and short films, such as La Vie Rêvée des Anges (1998, Erick Zonca), Alice et Martin (1998, André Téchiné), Qui Plume la Lune? (Christine Carrière, 1999).

He rose to domestic fame upon the release of his third album, Le Phare, but remained relatively unknown outside France until the release of his score for Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain in 2001, which was a mixture of both new and previously released material.

Tiersen favors the piano, accordion, and violin, but is also known for his experimentation and use of obscure instruments like the ondes martenot and the typewriter.

Yann Tiersen's list of collaborators continues to grow album after album (see discography below for details). While composing his fifth album, L'absente, Tiersen lent his musical talent to Françoiz Breut and Les Têtes Raides for their own albums. His 2005 album, Les Retrouvailles, featured vocals from Stuart Staples of Tindersticks, Jane Birkin, and Elizabeth Fraser, formerly of Cocteau Twins. Tiersen also played piano on Staples' solo album, Lucky Dog Recordings 03-04.

His live performances vary greatly. Sometimes he is accompanied by an orchestra and many guest collaborators, like Dominique A. Others, he offers the more frequent minimalistic sessions, usually accompanied only by a drummer/bassist and a guitarist, with Tiersen switching seamlessly between piano, accordion, and violin for his lighter songs, and electric guitar for his difficult pieces.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Studio albums

[edit] Soundtracks

[edit] Live albums

[edit] Collaborations

[edit] Contributions

  • One Trip, One Noise (by Noir Désir) (1997)
    • Collaboration on A ton étoile: arrangements, strings, vibraphone, bell, mandolin, electric guitar and bass.
  • Vingt à trente mille jours (by Françoiz Breut) (2000)
    • Collaboration on Porsmouth (vibraphone), Vingt à trente mille jours (vibraphone), L'heure bleue (violin), Le verre pilé (vibraphone); he made the arrangements of the other tracks.
    • Collaborations: Dominique A, Gaëtan Chataigner, Sacha Toorop and Luc Rambaud.
  • Gratte-poil (by Têtes Raides) (2001)
    • Collaboration on Cabaret des nues (violin)
  • The Married Monk (by The Married Monk) (2001)
    • Collaboration on Roma Amor (strings, vibraphone), Holidays (strings) and Cyro's request (vibraphone)
  • Les oiseaux de passage (tribute to Georges Brassens)
    • Collaboration: he covers Le parapluie with Natacha Régnier
  • On aime On aide (EP composed to raise founds for the FIDH) (2003)
  • Absent Friends (by The Divine Comedy) (2004)
    • Collaboration on Sticks & Stones (accordion), and Anthem for Bored Youth (accordion), a track which appears on the French limited edition.
  • The Endless Rise of the Sun (by Smooth) (2006)
    • Collaboration on The Endless Rise of the Sun (guitar, keyboards)
    • Smooth played in first part of some of Yann Tiersen's concerts in Spain, Poland and Germany in 2007.
  • Raides à la ville (by Katel) (2006)
    • Collaboration on La Vielle (violin)
    • Katel played in first part in France and Spain in 2006
  • 13m² (by David Delabrosse) (2006)
    • Collaboration: he made the arrangements
    • Collaborations: Françoiz Breut, Marc Sens, Christian Quermalet, Renaud Lhoest
    • David Delabrosse played in first part in the C'était ici's tour in 2002 and in 2006. He was also Elliot's Baby Sitter.
    • The clip of the track Elliott (about Yann Tiersen's son) was made by Aurélie Duboy, Yann Tiersen present girlfriend.

[edit] DVD

  • La Traversée (2005) (by Aurélie du Boys, about the recording and composition of Les Retrouvailles in Ouessant)
  • On Tour (2006) (by Aurélie du Boys, about the tour)

[edit] References

  1. ^ Article in CafeBabel (Deutsch)
  2. ^ Yann Tiersen interview
  3. ^ Artist bigraphy at VH1
  4. ^ Artist biography at Everything2.com

[edit] External links