Hexagramme

Composed in 2002, Hexagram is conceived for indeterminate instrumental forces, exemplifying Michel Lysight’s fascination with process-driven form and canon-based structures. As its title suggests, the work is built on a six-part contrapuntal framework, developing through tightly structured cycles of construction and deconstruction.

At the heart of the piece lies a six-voice canon, where short melodic-rhythmic cells are gradually expanded through the successive addition of notes. These cells are layered to create a complex musical fabric that slowly accumulates density and saturation. Once a threshold of textural intensity is reached, the number of voices is reduced — unraveling the previous buildup — and a new cycle begins, constructed from fresh motivic material. This cyclical process of accretion and dissolution lends the piece its dynamic architectural shape.

Hexagram exists in two distinct, dedicated arrangements:

• A version for clarinet choir, written for and dedicated to Ronald Van Spaendonck
• A version for string sextet, dedicated to Daniel Rubenstein and the Mendelssohn Ensemble

These instrumentations offer contrasting coloristic interpretations of the same structural design, highlighting Lysight’s signature blending of minimalist influence with contrapuntal discipline.