Joseph Kosma
- Known for
- Sound
- Born
- October 22, 1905
- Died
- August 7, 1969 (aged 63)
- Birthplace
- Budapest, Hungary
Biography
Joseph Kosma (22 October 1905 – 7 August 1969) was a Hungarian-French composer. Kosma was born József Kozma in Budapest, where his parents taught stenography and typing. He had a brother, Ákos. A maternal relative was the photographer László Moholy-Nagy, and another was the conductor Georg Solti. He started to play the piano at age five, and later took piano lessons. At the age of 11, he wrote his first opera, Christmas in the Trenches. After completing his education at the Secondary Grammar School Franz-Josef, he attended the Academy of Music in Budapest, where he studied with Leo Weiner. He also studied with Béla Bartók at the Liszt Academy, receiving diplomas in composition and conducting. He won a grant to study in Berlin in 1928, where he met Lilli Apel, another musician, whom he later married. Kosma also met and studied with Hanns Eisler in Berlin. He became acquainted with Bertolt Brecht and Helene Weigel. Kosma and his wife emigrated to Paris in 1933. Eventually, he met Jacques Prévert, who introduced him to Jean Renoir. During the 1930s Kosma teamed up with Prévert to set a number of Prévert's poems to music, and have them recorded by popular singers. Several of these were hits. Kosma also composed scores to Renoir's films including La Grande Illusion (1937), La Bête Humaine (The Human Beast, 1938), and La Règle du jeu (The Rules of the Game, 1939). During World War II and the Occupation of France, Kosma was placed under house arrest in the Alpes-Maritimes region and was banned from composition. However, Prévert managed to arrange for Kosma to contribute music for films with other composers fronting for him. Under this arrangement, he wrote the "pantomime" of the music for Les Enfants du Paradis (1945), made under the occupation but released after the liberation. Among his other credits are the scores to Voyage Surprise (1946) and Le Testament du docteur Cordelier (The Doctor's Horrible Experiment, 1959), the last of which was made for television. He was also known for writing the standard classical-jazz piece "Les feuilles mortes" ("Autumn Leaves"), with French lyrics by Prévert and later English lyrics by Johnny Mercer, which was derived from music in Marcel Carné's film Les Portes de la Nuit (1946). The song was featured in the eponymous 1956 film starring Joan Crawford. Source: Article "Joseph Kosma" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
Known For
Filmography
The Little Theatre of Jean Renoir
Movie · Original Music Composer
La Fenêtre
Movie · Music
Kitosch, the Man Who Came from the North
Movie · Music
Bitter Fruit
Movie · Original Music Composer
Light-Fingered George
Movie · Original Music Composer
In the French Style
Movie · Original Music Composer
Dawn on the Third Day
Movie · Music
Snobs!
Movie · Music
The Elusive Corporal
Movie · Original Music Composer
The Doll
Movie · Original Music Composer
The Secret of the Blue Men
Movie · Music
Croesus
Movie · Original Music Composer
Matisse ou Le talent de bonheur
Movie · Music
Love and the Frenchwoman
Movie · Original Music Composer
Experiment in Evil
Movie · Original Music Composer
The Eighth Day
Movie · Music
The Doctor's Dilemma
Movie · Music
Picnic on the Grass
Movie · Original Music Composer
Katia
Movie · Original Music Composer
Tamango
Movie · Original Music Composer
A Certain Mr. Jo
Movie · Original Music Composer
Three Days to Live
Movie · Original Music Composer
The Inspector Likes a Fight
Movie · Sound Director
La Commune de Paris
Movie · Music
The Case of Dr. Laurent
Movie · Original Music Composer
Demoniac
Movie · Original Music Composer
People of No Importance
Movie · Original Music Composer
Main Street
Movie · Original Music Composer
That Is the Dawn
Movie · Original Music Composer
Goubbiah and the Gipsy Girl
Movie · Original Music Composer
I'll Get Back to Kandara
Movie · Music
Elena and Her Men
Movie · Music
Soupçons
Movie · Original Music Composer
Magic Village
Movie · Original Music Composer
The Fugitives
Movie · Original Music Composer
No Exit
Movie · Original Music Composer
Rhine Virgin
Movie · Original Music Composer
Innocents in Paris
Movie · Music
Ma Jeannette et mes copains
Movie · Music
The Curious Adventures of Mr. Wonderbird
Movie · Songs
Alarm in Morocco
Movie · Music
The Green Glove
Movie · Original Music Composer
Judgement of God
Movie · Music
Torticola versus Frankensberg
Movie · Music
Wolves Hunt at Night
Movie · Music
Crimson Curtain
Movie · Original Music Composer
The Cape of Hope
Movie · Sound
Without Leaving an Address
Movie · Original Music Composer
Juliette, or Key of Dreams
Movie · Original Music Composer
Perfectionist
Movie · Original Music Composer
Shadow and Light
Movie · Music
Lost Souvenirs
Movie · Music
Passing through Lorraine
Movie · Music
Fugitive from Montreal
Movie · Original Music Composer
Black Jack
Movie · Music
Disorder
Movie · Music
Here Is the Beauty
Movie · Music
Wicked City
Movie · Music
Truant School
Movie · Original Music Composer
Blood of the Beasts
Movie · Original Music Composer
At the Grand Balcony
Movie · Music
The Lovers of Verona
Movie · Original Music Composer
Crossroads of Passion
Movie · Music
The Eleven O'Clock Woman
Movie · Original Music Composer
Man to Men
Movie · Original Music Composer
Noah's Ark
Movie · Original Music Composer
Bethsabée
Movie · Original Music Composer
The Little Soldier
Movie · Music
Love Around the House
Movie · Original Music Composer
Gates of the Night
Movie · Original Music Composer
A Day in the Country
Movie · Original Music Composer
Adieu Léonard
Movie · Original Music Composer
The Rules of the Game
Movie · Original Music Composer
Street Singer
Movie · Music
La Bête Humaine
Movie · Original Music Composer
La Marseillaise
Movie · Music
The Time of the Cherries
Movie · Music
Grand Illusion
Movie · Original Music Composer
Jenny
Movie · Original Music Composer
The Crime of Monsieur Lange
Movie · Original Music Composer