Pierre Henry

Studio Apsome 2

october 1964 - march 1971

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Poster, 1970 © Jacques Aubert/Philips

A new team was formed when, in October 1964, Pierre Henry moved from the rue Cardinet to the boulevard Saint-Germain, Apsome 2, which quickly housed an accumulation of boxes and tapes.

A rigorous filing system was used to draw up lists of files in directory notebooks, which were compiled one at a time with the help of Isabelle Chandon, Marie-Luce Staib, Éliane Radigue, Isabelle Warnier and Catherine Bir.

This sound library became an extraordinary compositional tool, nourishing creativity in all directions: music for advertisements, for films and documentaries, for the stage and, of course, new compositions such as Messe pour le temps présent (1967), Granulométrie (1967), Apocalypse de Jean (1968), Fragments pour Artaud, Mouvement-Rythme-Étude et Gymkhana (1970).

More loudspeakers - the 3 Cabasse are complemented by 10 Klein & Hummel OY, more microphones - 1 Schops and 1 Neuman are added to the 3 Telefunken, 4 more tape recorders and a new EMT echo chamber show the composer to be constantly renewing his technique.


Studio Apsome 2, 1966 - Luc Verrier © Son/Ré	Pierre Henry at studio Apsome 2, Paris, 1967 © Jean-Régis Roustan/Private collection Pierre Henry

Pierre Henry working on the tape recorder, Paris, 1970 © David Henry/Private collection Pierre Henry	Pierre Henry at studio Apsome 2, Paris, 1967 © Pierre Brochet/Private collection Pierre Henry