ARTIFICIALE I
10′ – 2014
chamber music
Artificiale I
Fixed sounds and sound material are identical in this work and in The Melancholy of the Devil. “The two pieces are twin, born and built at the same time, around a common soundtrack, to which each instrument is confronted in its truth, its personality: absolute power of the bagpipes, absolute weakness of the viola”, tenacity saxophone …
Heavy, telluric energy emanates from the soundtrack. It crosses the worlds – spaces, times, cultures, traditions – of the eternal Mediterranean, as archaic as contemporary. Made of mixed fragments of music from Egypt, the Gulf, Turkey, Armenian melodies, Byzantine monodies …
The instrument develops and unfolds in all its dynamics, revealing its fragilities and its power. The saxophonist struggles to get in sync with the bandwidth (L’Autre, l’ailleurs) -murmures or fury-tumultuous or peaceful, always invasive. By stamping his foot, he seems to be trying to crush the demons, to bury the grain in the ground or to dance … Nunc is bibendum, nunc pede libero pulsanda tellus *, “Now we must drink, now we must strike the earth with a light foot “. A human destiny.
Premiere: March 14, 2012
Venue: Festival Irtijal, Beirut
by Christophe Desjardins, alto
March 13, 2012 Irtijal Festival, Beirut by Christophe Desjardins, alto
September 20, 2012 Rennes, Festival Ebruitez-vous, François Coquet (saxophone)
October 13, 2012 Festival Ile de France, CRR of Paris by Christophe Desjardins, alto
March 24, 2013 Jade-La Citerne, Les Baux de Provence par Joël Versavaud, saxophone
March 14, 2014 Conservatoire de Toulon by Joël Versavaud, saxophone
May 8, 2012 Palazzo Albrizzi, Venise par Christophe Desjardins, alto
May 29, 2015 Grenoble, Centre des musiques nomades par Christophe Desjardins, alto
April 16, 2016 Vondelpark Museum, Amsterdam par Lilli Maijala, alto
April 17, 2016 Conservatoire d’Amsterdam, Victoria jam session par Lilli Maijala, alto
Commissioned by Mezwej
© ŠamaŠ musical editions 2012
Lilli Maijala
April 16, 2016, Amsterdam.
