L’Œuvre au rouge [parts]

L’Œuvre au Rouge is Michel Lysight’s second work for cello quartet, following Couleurs Noires (1999). The title refers to the final and most elusive stage of the alchemical process: the rubedo or Red Work, traditionally symbolising the culmination of spiritual transmutation and the attainment of inner perfection.

Musically, the piece opens with a slow and meditative presentation of a series of chords, whose sonorities are detached from conventional functional harmony. These chords serve as the germinal material for a series of variations, each marked by a distinct character—whether melodic, rhythmic, harmonic or timbral. Through these transformations, the work enacts a process of continuous metamorphosis, mirroring the symbolic journey of alchemical refinement.

The final section returns to the contemplative atmosphere of the opening. Yet this return is no mere repetition: the musical substance has undergone a profound transformation. It is as though the initial matter, having been submitted to the crucible of variation, has reached a state of sonic incandescence, echoing the symbolic illumination of the rubedo.

L’Œuvre au Rouge was premiered on 19 October 2019 in Mons (Belgium) by the ensemble Tetracelli, to whom the work is dedicated. It appears on their recording Tetracelli: Belgian Works for Cello Quartet, released by Pavane Records.