Joseph Kosma

Composer, born in Budapest, Hungary. He studied at the Académie Liszt and became chief assistant in the Budapest Opera. He settled in Paris (1933), where he composed ballet music and opera music, such as La révolte des Canuts (1964), and music for the cinema. Les Enfants du Paradis (1945) assured his success, followed by La Bête Humaine. He also wrote songs both popular and serious based on texts by Desnos, Sartre, Queneau, and the famous ‘Les Feuilles Mortes’ by Prévert.

Joseph Kosma (born Kozma József October 22, 1905 in Budapest, died August 7, 1969 outside Paris) was a Hungarian composer, of Jewish background.

Kosma started to play the piano at age 5, and later took piano lessons. Kosma also met and studied with Hanns Eisler in Berlin.

Kosma and his wife emigrated to Paris in 1933. Eventually, he met Jacques Prévert, who introduced him to Jean Renoir, which led to his contributions to French cinema music of the mid-century. During World War II and the Occupation of France, Kosma was placed under house arrest in the Alpes-Maritimes region, and was banned from composition. However, Prevert managed to arrange for Kosma to contribute music for films, with other composers fronting for him. He is also known for writing the standard classical-Jazz piece "Les feuiles mortes" "Autumn Leaves" (lyrics by Jacques Prévert), which was derived from music in Carne's film Les Portes de la Nuit.

Kosma's mother and brother were killed by the Arrow Cross Nazi auxiliaries in 1944. Kosma himself was wounded in an explosion in August 1944 in France. Kosma's father survived the war, and died in 1957. Joseph Kosma died in 1969 and was buried in the Cimetière de Montmartre in the Montmartre Quarter of Paris.