Val-de-Grâce in Paris in Département de Paris, Île-de-France, France — Western Europe
Marius Constant (1925-2004)
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, June 26, 2023
1. Marius Constant (1925-2004) Marker
Membre de l’Institut
A vécu ici de 1960 a 2004
Composer, conductor, member of the French Institute - lived here from 1960 to 2004.
Erected 2015.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Arts, Letters, Music. A significant historical date for this entry is May 15, 2004.
Location. 48° 50.73′ N, 2° 20.652′ E. Marker is in Paris, Île-de-France, in Département de Paris. It is in Val-de-Grâce. It is on Rue des Fossés Saint-Jacques, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 16 Rue des Fossés Saint-Jacques, Paris, Île-de-France 75005, France. Touch for directions.
Regionally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, Europe, the European Union, Atlantic Europe, the Schengen Area, Western Europe, a coastal Mediterranean country, and the Western World. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a French colony and also the Roman Empire.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Ferdinand Buisson (within shouting distance of this marker); Charles Péguy
this page online
Also see . . .
1. Marius Constant (Wikipedia).
Overview: Marius Constant (7 February 1925 – 15 May 2004) was a Romanian-born French composer and conductor. Although known in the classical world primarily for his ballet scores, his most widely known music was the iconic guitar theme for The Twilight Zone American television series.(Submitted on July 15, 2023.)
On how the Twilight Zone theme came to be: In the late 1950s, Constant was commissioned by Lud Gluskin of CBS to create a number of short pieces for the CBS stock music library that could be used in CBS radio and TV shows. The unusual, sometimes discordant nature of Constant's work meant that the pieces were seldom heard or used.In 1960, Gluskin was asked to find a new theme for the main title and end credits of the CBS television series The Twilight Zone, then entering its second season, to replace the original one by Bernard Herrmann. New pieces submitted by Herrmann, Jerry Goldsmith, Leith Stevens, and others, were considered unsuitable. In desperation, Gluskin edited together two pieces by Constant ("Étrange No. 3", a series of repeated four-note phrases on electric guitar, and "Milieu No. 2", an odd pattern of guitar notes, bongo drums, brass and flutes). The resulting theme quickly became iconic, and is easily Constant's most well-known work. Constant himself was apparently unaware for some years that his music was being used as The Twilight Zone theme. Because the music was part of a "work made for hire" agreement with CBS, Constant derived no ongoing income from it.Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, June 26, 20232. Marius Constant (1925-2004) Marker - wide view
2. Cérémonie de dévoilement de la plaque en hommage à Marius CONSTANT (April, 2015). Press release of the speech by Florence Berthout, Mayor of the 5th arrondissement, on the occasion of the unveiling ceremony of the plaque in tribute to Marius Constant.
Introduction (in translation): It is with some emotion that I am pleased to unveil this morning this plaque in tribute to the great Franco-Romanian composer Marius Constant.(Submitted on July 15, 2023.)
Marius Constant, who was the exact contemporary of Pierre Boulez, the fellow student of Olivier Messiaen, Tony Aubin, Nadia Boulanger and Arthur Honegger, is, so to speak, the emblem of this generation of artists, musicians who, rejecting the serial formalism of the 1950s, knew how to accompany with their genius the birth of a new aesthetic sensibility, deeply carnal and anchored in human experience…
3. Marius Constant - Theme from The Twilight Zone (1959) (YouTube, 57 secs.). The Twilight Zone (Theme Song by The Monterey Radio and TV Philarmonic Orchestra) (Submitted on July 15, 2023.)
4. Marius Constant: Chaconne et marche millitaire (1966) (YouTube, 11 mins.). Marius Constant (1925–2004) - Chaconne et marche militaire, for orchestra (1966). Philadelphia Orchestra - Antonio de Almeida, conductor. World Première, February 1968, Philadelphia Symphony Hall.
If you liked the Twilight Zone theme, here’s the soundtrack for your next bout of angst or paranoia… (Submitted on July 15, 2023.)
Credits. This page was last revised on July 15, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 15, 2023, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 267 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 15, 2023, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.
