New Consonant Music

Trigramme (2008) for three instruments (1. flute, 2. oboe or violin or clarinet or soprano saxophone, 3. clarinet or bass clarinet or bassoon or viola or cello) was composed at the request of the Mosaic Ensemble. This three-movement work calls for great virtuosity on the part of the performers, whether in terms of instrumental technique, musical listening or rhythmic precision. The first movement is the most developed of the three: it interweaves various elements that evolve, transform or reappear unexpectedly. The sudden modulations make the discourse very lively, the harmonic colour changing constantly. A sensation of speed gradually takes hold of the listener without giving him time to breathe, even if the speech is regularly “broken” by certain surprise effects. About two-thirds of the way through the movement (bar 140) a large three-part fugue opens, based on a dodecaphonic and tonal subject. The entertainment exploits many of the elements that appeared earlier, and the stretto “explodes” like a veritable firework. Then comes an evocation of the very beginning, but this one forks towards a brighter end. The second movement is a succession of variations on an obstinate bass of seven notes in regular values, while the third and last movement is written with the technique of the “repetitive evolutionary”.

The world premiere took place at the Musical Instrument Museum in Brussels (Belgium) on 30 November 2008 by Ensemble Mosaïc.