Thrène

Thrène (1995) begins with an ostinato of five sixteenth notes in the high register of the piano on which a plaintive melody slowly builds itself. A more rhythmic section follows, based on an increasingly dense accumulation of short imitative cells distributed between piano and voice. An intense climax is followed by a short melodic lull.

The atmosphere of the next section is haunting, with the ostinato of the piano and the gradual ascent of the voice or instrument towards the high notes, which leads us to the second dramatic climax of the piece (clusters of the piano alternating with the high “A” of the voice/instrument). The melody of the beginning reappears in canon between the voice/instrument and the bass of the piano, this on the sixteenth note ostinato played in the high register.

Several instrumental versions have been produced by the composer, some of which are available on various CD’s:

• Labyrinthes / works by Michel Lysight, Ensemble Nouvelles Consonances (Cyprès 4602)
• Cosmographies / works for wind and piano by Michel Lysight, Ensemble Quartz (Quartziade 014).
• Damien Pardœn, violin and Stéphane De May, piano (Fibonacci Productions 002, out of print)
• Masterpieces for horn and piano / Francis Orval, horn and Jean-Claude Vanden Eynden (Fibonacci Productions 004, out of print)