Couleurs noires

Composed in 1999, Couleurs Noires is a set of variations of strikingly contrasting character, based on a sequence of eight chords presented at the outset in sustained note values — first in three parts, then in four.

While each chord may be analysed individually as a tone-colour entity, their succession resists any traditional harmonic interpretation: no clear tonality or modality can be established. These chords operate in a state of “suspended function”, and their musical interest lies in their intrinsic sonic beauty and the evolving colourations that result from their sequence. The listener is constantly surprised by the shifting atmospheres created through this harmonic ambiguity.

Instrumental timbre plays a central role. Through the use of varied extended techniques and the subtle blending of sonorities, the work explores a refined palette of colour. The distribution of upper, middle, and lower voices is deliberately rotated among the cellists, avoiding any fixed hierarchy and creating a form of spatialisation that adds depth and mobility to the texture.

Score and parts available as a set.