Draft:Victor Le Masne

Victor Le Masne is a French musician and composer born in 1982. Primarily associated with the electro and pop movements and considered one of the representatives of the French touch, he also offers jazz or classical compositions.

Biography

Early Life

Victor Le Masne was born in 1982. He comes from a family of many musicians, including his father, a flutist who directed several music conservatories and was influenced by the work of Iannis Xenakis.

Education

He learned piano and percussion and trained at the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Boulogne-Billancourt. In 2005, he founded the band Housse de Racket with Pierre le Roux, where he was the drummer of the duo..

Career

In 2022, the new version of the rock opera Starmania was presented to the public. Victor Le Masne was responsible for the musical direction of this version, under the direction of Thomas Jolly. On this occasion, the composer proposed a re-arrangement of the work to update the score.

He arranged a new version of La Marseillaise for the handover between Tokyo and Paris during the closing ceremony of the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Starting in 2023, Thomas Jolly, who became the artistic director of the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, decided to collaborate with Victor Le Masne for the musical aspect of his artistic project. Jolly explained that their collaboration on Starmania was a key factor in his choice. In May 2024, the Paris Olympic Games organizing committee announced that Victor Le Masne had been appointed musical director for the ceremonies of the Olympic and 2020 Summer Paralympics.

As the official composer for the event, Victor Le Masne wrote Parade, the anthem for the 2024 Olympics.

Music

Style

Victor Le Masne is considered by critics to be one of the representatives of the French touch.

With the band Housse de Racket, Victor Le Masne composed electro music.

As a solo artist, Victor Le Masne moves away from electro or pop aspects. His album May 20th, for example, is in a jazz style, while his piece Parade for the 2024 Paris Olympics features a classical orchestral arrangement.

One of Victor Le Masne’s specialties is rearranging compositions from the classical repertoire. He draws on his classical training and knowledge of music theory to do this. He emphasizes the relevance of the classical repertoire in modern and popular creations, whether by pop artists or rappers.

Solo Work

For his third album, Victor Le Masne and his producer decided to create an album in one week. They embarked on this project in the spring of 2021: the first day was dedicated to preparing themes and arrangements, the second to recording with four other musicians, the third to selection, the fourth to mixing, and the fifth to mastering.

Arrangement of Starmania

In the late 2010s, Victor Le Masne collaborated with Thomas Jolly on a modernization of the rock opera Starmania. Thomas Jolly was responsible for the staging, while Victor Le Masne handled the musical direction.

Victor Le Masne’s goal for this work was to modernize the original score (which dates from 1979). The composer proposed new arrangements incorporating sounds typical of the 2010s. Additionally, Thomas Jolly decided to reintroduce the orchestra into the staging of the musical. The music was thus played live by the orchestra from the pit.

Another goal of the Jolly-Le Masne duo was to reintroduce songs that had been removed in previous rearrangements. Songs like Masse médias, Paranoïa, and Sex Shop were rearranged and reinstated in the show.

Victor Le Masne explained that the main challenge in his work was creating these arrangements without knowing the final cast of singers for the show. He could not tailor his compositions to the voices and styles of the soloists and had to imagine his arrangements based on the historic voices of Starmania (such as Daniel Balavoine or France Gall).

Olympic Games

Re-arrangement of La Marseillaise for the Closing Ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics As part of the closing ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Victor Le Masne was chosen to rearrange La Marseillaise. The music was played during the handover between the two Olympic cities.

For this arrangement, Victor Le Masne proposed a softer and more danceable version of the French anthem, notably toning down the martial aspects of the score. He also added an electro signature to this new version.

Parade

In May 2024, the title Parade was revealed to the public. It is the official musical theme of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Parade is a theme that features two arrangements and orchestrations in succession: one grandiose and the other festive. The first is classical in form, with an introduction by a small chamber ensemble (bowed strings), a development with the addition of symphonic instruments, and finally an apotheosis where a lyrical choir joins the orchestra. The second is in electro form and incorporates melodic and rhythmic elements typical of the French touch. A brief transition provides the musical passage between the two arrangements.

Collaborations with Other Artists

Thanks to his varied skills in music production and creation, his mastery of several instruments, and his knowledge of various musical styles, Victor Le Masne collaborates with many artists from diverse backgrounds. He is particularly recognized for his work with Kavinsky, Gaspard Augé, Eddy de Pretto, Juliette Armanet, Philippe Katerine, Bernard Lavilliers, Iliona, and Chilly Gonzales.

Works

Composition

Parade (2024): Official theme of the 2024 Paris Olympics

Solo Album

May 20th (2021): 7 tracks, jazz-oriented style.

Arrangement

La Marseillaise (2021): More danceable and electro arrangement of the French anthem. Starmania (2022): Modern (2010s) arrangement of the score and reintroduction of songs previously omitted from other versions of the rock opera.