Albireo

Composed in 2013 and dedicated to Jean-Marc Fessard, Albireo is a work for bass clarinet structured in an arch form (A – B – C – B′ – A′), alternating contrasting tempi: Slow – Fast – Slow – Fast – Slow.

The title refers to Albireo, the double star situated at the end of the Cygnus constellation. To the naked eye, it appears as a single third-magnitude star; however, when observed through a telescope, it is revealed to be two distinct celestial bodies: Albireo A, a yellow star of magnitude 3.1, and Albireo B, a blue star of magnitude 5.1.

• Part A (Misterioso) is built on a motif derived from the name “Jean-Marc Fessard,” transcribed into musical notes using the Southern European solmisation system: F, E, E♭, E♭, A, D, D. This motif is subjected to various transformations, developed across different registers characteristic of the bass clarinet’s timbral range.
• Part B (Vivo) is rhythmically driven and based on a derivative of the final three notes of the retrograde of motif A. The music unfolds through a repetitive structure that alternates 3- and 5-beat cycles, referencing the magnitudes of Albireo A and B. A progressive compression of the metre (4/4, 7/8, 6/8, 5/8) leads seamlessly into the central section.
• Part C (Teneramente) reveals the “song” of Albireo. Here, the rhythmic material of section B is melodically transformed, with alternating high and low lines evoking the dual nature of the binary star.
• In part B′ (Vivo), the material of section B returns in a varied form, now alternating 3- and 1-beat cycles, producing a sense of compressed repetition.

The final section, A′ (Misterioso), offers a variation of the opening, focused more intimately on shifting registers within the instrument, bringing the piece to a contemplative close.

The world premiere took place on 2 April [year not specified] at the Conservatoire d’Aulnay-sous-Bois (France), performed by Jean‑Marc Fessard (clarinet and bass clarinet), alongside Didier Pateau (oboe), Guillaume Demougeot (clarinet), and Elisabeth Kissel (bassoon).