Palimpseste

For Pierre-Yves Macé, composition is a deliberate palimpsest, constant rewriting, going back over what has been set down, for enjoyment and for a new encounter with shapes, disturbing the lines, rearranging the sequences. The concert presents a number of miniatures, a tribute to brevity, even for the traditional genres of opera and cantata. The work Maintenant, de toutes nos forces, essayons de ne rien comprendre [Now let’s really strive to understand nothing] is a chamber cantata, to text by Pierre Senges and devised around two Bach cantatas, BWV 94 and BWV 110, taking excerpts from the verse and music, then altering them. A new albeit tiny path is forged through these grand models with the tenor and countertenor personifying the centuries-old struggle between the forces of materialism and idealism. Kind des Faust, originally part of Angelus Novus Anti-Faust (2016) by Sylvain Creuzevault and which had a composer as one of the characters. This was opera in theater, a rereading of Goethe’s masterpiece, and the forgotten figure of the child of Faust and Marguerite, drowned by the parents, then returning from the dead to wreak revenge. Radiophonic commas, Virgules radiophoniques, punctuate the concert, as an overture and interludes between the cantata and the opera; these were originally devised ten years ago for a radio program, Boudoir & autres, presented by Gérard Pesson. Such punctuation means a different approach to the initial pencil stroke, bringing other paths to life

VIRGULES RADIOPHONIQUES

All instruments and electronics, Cahier I (2013-2023)

MAINTENANT, DE TOUTES NOS FORCES, ESSAYONS DE NE RIEN COMPRENDRE

Text by Pierre Senges, for string quartet, harpsichord, tenor & countertenor (2017-2023)

VIRGULES RADIOPHONIQUES

All instruments and electronics, Cahier II (2013-2023)

KIND DES FAUST (L’Enfant de Faust)

Text by Sylvain Creuzevault for string quintet, flute, harp, electronic keyboard, soprano, countertenor & bass (2016-2023)