Pascale Criton

French composer and musicologist born in 1954 in Paris, Pascale Criton studied composition with Ivan Wyschnegradsky, Gérard Grisey and Jean-Étienne Marie. She undertook training in electroacoustics at the International Center for Musical Research (CIRM 1980 to 1982), as well as completing a computer music internship at IRCAM in 1986. She has a doctorate in 20th century musicology (“Theoretical aspects and realizations of the notion of continuum in 20th century music”) and obtained a D.E.A. under the supervision of Hugues Dufourt.

Her work focuses on the notion of sound continuum, research that is the subject of numerous articles and conferences concerning musical aesthetics (Introduction to the Law of Pansonority by Ivan Wyschnegradsky [Geneva, Contrechamps, 1996]), as well as synthesis and new violin making.

Consultant composer at IRCAM (1989-1991, 2005-2006), she collaborated with the Waves and Acoustics Laboratory at the Higher School of Industrial Physics and Chemistry (E.S.P.C.I.-Paris) and currently works with the Lutherie, Acoustics and Music Laboratory (LAM-CNRS, Paris). She is an associate researcher at the Institute of Aesthetics of Arts and Technologies (IDEAT), University of Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne – CNRS, and collaborates with the Laboratory of Studies and Research on Contemporary Logics of Philosophy (EA L.L.C.P.), Paris 8.

In the field of composition, since 1980, Pascale Criton has explored the microvariability of sound in terms of playing techniques, tuning adjustments (scordatura in 1/8th, 1/12th, 1/16th tone) and digital synthesis. In 1999, the Ensemble 2e2m dedicated a portrait concert to her, and a publication devoted to her work appeared in the collection À la ligne: Pascale Criton, les univers microtempérés as well as a monographic CD released under the Assaï label (2003). Her works, available from Jobert editions (Lemoine), are performed both in France and abroad: Centre Georges Pompidou, IRCAM, MANCA, MIDEM, Intermusica, Ars Electronica, Darmstadt, Institut Ijsbreker, Festival Archipel, Huddersfield Spring, III° Pianoforum (Heilbronn), American Festival of Microtonal Music (New York), Radio-France.

Her works include Artefact (2001) for instrumental ensemble (commissioned by the French State); Objectiles (2002) commissioned by Radio-France, and Scordatura (2003), for guitar quartet, commissioned by the Centre international de recherches musicales; Gaïa (2004) for soprano, contrabass clarinet, percussion, live electronics with real-time video system (commissioned by the French State); and Plis (2005-2006), cycle for instrumental ensemble and live electronics (in situ recordings) (commissioned by the French State).

Besides participating in the seminars as a student, Pascale Criton was invited by Deleuze as a privileged interlocutor during the Cinema IV seminar, first during session 10 (22 January 1985); then, in session 22, the so-called “technical session” (14 May 1985); very briefly in session 26 (18 June 1985); and a lengthy intervention in the final session of the seminar on Leibniz and the Baroque (2 June 1987), Deleuze’s last session at Vincennes. [Entry: Stivale, 2024]