Trigramme

Trigramme (2008, rev. 2022), for flute, oboe, and clarinet, was composed at the request of the Mosaïc Ensemble. Structured in three movements, the work demands a high level of virtuosity from all three performers—not only in terms of technical execution, but also with regard to ensemble sensitivity and rhythmic precision.

The first movement, the most substantial of the three, presents a tightly woven fabric of musical ideas. These motifs evolve, transform, and occasionally reappear unexpectedly, creating a texture that is both intricate and unpredictable. The writing is marked by abrupt modulations and frequent shifts in harmonic colour, lending the movement a restless and mercurial character. Despite brief interruptions—clearly designed as dramatic or humorous ‘surprises’—the listener is gradually overtaken by a sensation of inexorable forward motion, scarcely afforded a moment’s pause.

The second movement is built as a series of variations over a seven-note ostinato bass, expressed in evenly spaced rhythmic values. This movement balances rigour with expressive variety, offering a calmer yet structurally inventive contrast to the outer movements.

The final movement employs the composer’s hallmark technique of repetitive evolution: short melodic-rhythmic cells are introduced, then gradually expanded, rearticulated, and transformed, producing a sense of continuous development within a recognisable framework.

The world première took place on 30 November 2008 at the Museum of Musical Instruments in Brussels, performed by the Mosaïc Ensemble, to whom the work is dedicated.