"What remains as one of the minor mysteries of the last half-century of musical history is the fact that, for all the immediate attractiveness of his compositional voice, the work of Jean-Michel Damase has remained such a well-kept secret."
Christopher Morley
from his program notes for
Piano Music by
Jean-Michel Damase

Stage Works

Opera, ballet and film scores

Balance à trois
ballet 1955
duration 21'
instrumentation - 2.2.2.2 / 4.3.2.1 / 1timp / 1perc / 1hp / 1pno/cel / strings
Editions Musicales Transatlantiques

Colombe
opera 1958
libretto: Jean Anouilh | comédie lyrique | 4 acts | premiere: Bordeaux, Grand, 5 May 1961| unpublished edition for 2 pianos extant | Editions Henry Lemoine

Croqueuse de diamants, La
ballet 1950
4 tableaux | premiere: Paris, Théâtre Marigny, Les Ballets de Paris de Roland Petit, 25 Sept 1950 | complete ballet included in film Black Tights [Un, deux, trois, quatre] (1960) | Frequently translated literally as The Diamond Cruncher or The Diamond Muncher; a better translation is The Gold Digger

Divertimento
ballet 1954
"divertissement choréographique" | duration: 12' | Editions Salabert

Escarpolette, L'
opera 1980
comédie lyrique | duration: 40'

Eugène le mystérieux
opera 1963
feuilleton musical | 2 acts | libretto: M. Achard after E. Sue | premiere: Paris, Châtelet, 7 Feb 1964

Eurydice
opera 1971
comédie lyrique | 3 acts | libretto: Jean Anouilh | premiere: Bordeaux, Grand, 26 May 1972 | duration : 2 hrs 10' | Editions Henry Lemoine

Fille mal gardée, La
ballet
original music: Louis Joseph Ferdinand Herold (1791-1833) & Peter Ludwig Hertel (1817-1899); new version in collaboration with Heinz Spoerli

Héritière, L'
opera 1974
2 acts and 7 tableaux | libretto L Ducreux, after adaptation by R & A Goetz of Washington Square by Henry James | premiere Nancy, France, Grand, 13 Mar 1974 | Editions Musicales Transatlantiques

Madame de…
opera 1969
roman musical | 1 act | libretto: Jean Anouilh after Louise de Vilmorin | premiere: Monte Carlo, Opera, 26 Mar 1970 | duration: 1 hr 30' | Editions Henry Lemoine

Noce foraine, La
ballet 1961
première: L'Opéra de Marseille | Editions Henry Lemoine

Ochelata's Wedding
opera 2000
comic opera | libretto: Jaston Williams & Joe Sears | premiere: OK Mozart Festival, 10 June 2000

Père de Mademoiselle
film score 1953
director: Robert-Paul Dagan | cast: Arletty, Suzy Carrier

Piège de lumière
ballet 1952
première: 23 December 1952; Grand Ballet du Marquis du Cuemo; Théâtre de L'Empire, Paris | 3 tableaux | duration: 45' | Editions Henry Lemoine

Scoubidou; la poupée qui sait tout
children's opera 1987
story Pierre Gripari | adaptation Gérard Caillet | for 12 instruments | Editions Salabert ©1988

Silk Rhapsody
incidental music; ballet 1966
1 act | duration: 20' | commissioned by International Silk Association for its 10th Congress, which took place in the form of a cruise of the Eastern Mediterranean | ballet première: 1968; Grand Ballet Classique de France; Théâtre des Champs-ÉlyséesEditions Henry Lemoine

Tendre Eléonore, La
opera 1958
opéra-bouffe | 1 act | libretto: L. Masson | premiere: Marseilles, Opéra, 18 Jan 1962

Term of Trial
film score 1962
director: Peter Glenville | cast: Laurence Olivier, Simone Signoret
 
 
Removed from catalogue

Boucle, La
ballet 1957
duration 20' |
instrumentation: 2.2.2.2/4.3.2.1/1timp/1perc/1hp/1pno/1ce/ strings
Editions Musicales Transatlantiques

Fondation de la cité
ballet 1960
unpublished | manuscript lost

Lady on Ice
ballet 1953
produced by Roland Petit

Matin de Faust, Le
incidental music 1965
unpublished | manuscript lost

Saut du Tremplin, Le
ballet 1944
unpublished; destroyed

Othello
ballet 1957
unpublished | manuscript lost

Prince du désert, Le
ballet 1955
duration 12' | 1 act | producer: Georges Skibine
instrumentation: 2.2.2.2 / 2.2.2.1 / 1timp / 1perc / 1hp / 1pf / 1cel / strings
Editions Musicales Transatlantiques