Composer André Riotte was closely involved with avant-garde music, following in the paths of Messiaen, Xenakis and Barraqué. He wrote widely for orchestral and chamber...

Composer André Riotte was closely involved with avant-garde music, following in the paths of Messiaen, Xenakis and Barraqué. He wrote widely for orchestral and chamber forces, but the piano was his central focus; his compositions for it chart his development from neo-modal through studies in pure sound, to the monumental inspiration of his large-scale works. Météorite et ses métamorphoses, one of the composer’s last works, is a milestone in contemporary repertoire, metamorphosing – a term Riotte preferred to ‘variations’ – and acknowledging the influence of Debussy, Bach and Beethoven.