Palimpsestes

Palimpsestes (1994) is a booklet of four piano pieces, each of which comes from ancient sketches reworked according to the composer’s evolution towards New Consonant Music. The first is in the form of ABA’, A giving the impression of a meditative semi-improvisation while B has a more agitated character due to the ostinato of eighth notes of the left hand and the more changing harmonic colours. The second, very brief, is purely rhythmic: each hand plays the music of the other in mirror, music that is constructed by the progressive addition of notes that fill the silences from the beginning to a prestissimo finale. The third, very expressive and melodic, is a set of variations on a chord sequence, and the fourth, the most virtuoso, is repetitive in character with a lyrical passage at its centre.

These pieces have been the subject of two CD recordings, the first by Stéphane De May (Oréades, René Gailly label 87 111, sold out), the second by Éliane Reyes (Enigma, Dux label 0531).

World Premiere on 19th January 1996 at the Schaerbeek Music School (Brussels, Belgium) by Leonardo Anglani ; French Premiere on 27th October 2012 at CRR de Paris by Éliane Reyes