The virtuoso clarinettist Michel Arrignon, a co-founder of the Ensemble Intercontemporain, died today in La Rochelle at the age of 76.
Arrignon was principal clarinet of the Paris Opera Orchestra, founder of the Olivier Messiaen Quartet and clarinet professor at the Paris Conservatoire. He was a fervent advocate of modernism: ‘I want to stress that the 20th century works hold some unique masterpieces,’ he said. ‘I did a lot of recordings, of Schoenberg, Stravinsky, Berio, Fenelon, and other composers. This period was very rich in creativity for me, and I must say that working with Pierre Boulez taught me about becoming a true professional, which is an invaluable lesson.’
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