Jump

Commissioned by clarinettist Julien Elleouet and pianist Xavier Locus, Jump was originally conceived as part of a multimedia performance integrating live music with film. During the premiere, a film was projected showing the clarinettist preparing for a parachute jump: the meticulous preparations, boarding the plane, take-off—all while playing the clarinet—and finally, the descent and landing. The music was performed live alongside the film, enhancing and echoing its narrative arc.

Structured in clearly delineated sections, Jump mirrors the emotional trajectory of the parachute experience: from nervous anticipation and growing tension in the opening, to the moment of freefall, captured in a highly rhythmic and virtuosic section, followed by a return to a more grounded, contemplative state in the closing pages. Lysight skilfully uses textural contrast, dynamic shaping, and sudden modulations to reflect the shifting physical and psychological sensations of the jump.

Though designed to accompany a visual narrative, Jump is above all a standalone chamber work. It fully embodies the composer’s characteristic blend of repetitive minimalism, lyricism, and structural clarity, and is entirely suitable for performance in recital without the film. In either context, it offers a vivid and compelling musical journey, balancing physical energy with introspective nuance.