Trois strophes sur le nom de Patrice Emery Lumumba (2008)
12'
Ecrites pour l'altiste Hélène Desaint, ces trois strophes qui s'enchaînent sans interruption, rendent hommage (bien modestement) à une grande personnalité politique, principale figure de l'indépendance du Congo en 1960 : Patrice Emery Lumumba. Son arrestation, son lynchage, et son assassinat en 1961, après quelques mois de pouvoir et un sordide complot Belge et Américain, furent les première images violentes auxquelles je fus confronté dans ma jeunesse, et elles demeurent en moi depuis.Dans la construction de la pièce j'avais tenté de m'appuyer, selon la tradition, sur les lettres composant le nom de Patrice Lumumba : "A---CE -----BA, soit la - do, mi, si, la. Mais ici, nous sommes alors loin des possibilités qu'offrent les : BACH, DSCH/ré, mib, do, si, (Dimitri Schostakovitch), SACHER des Trois Strophes pour violoncelle d'Henri Dutilleux, ou le Es, S de Stravinsky (mib) dans la pièce de Boulez (Rituel) ; alors j'ai dû ne considérer que les intervalles (tierce, seconde, quinte) et ses renversements. Puis, à la troisième strophe, le nom codé selon les principes de l'alphabet morse, en une suite de longues et brèves, énonce à plusieurs reprises, dans une polyrythmie simple et secrète, le nom de Patrice Emery Lumumba.
Three Stanzas for Patrice Emery Lumumba Written for the violist Helen Desaint, these three stanzas that are connected without interruption, honor (albeit modestly) the greatest politician and main figure of Congo's independence in 1960, Patrice Emery Lumumba. His arrest, lynching and assassination in 1961, after a few months in power and a sordid Belgian and American plot, were the first violent images I was confronted with in my youth, and they have remained with me since. In accordance with the tradition I have tried to use the letters in the name of Patrice Lumumba in the construction of the piece: -A---CE -----BA, or la - do, mi, si, la. But here we run out of the possibilities offered by: BACH, DSCH / ray, mib, do, si (Dimitri Schostakovitch), SACHER from the Three Stanzas for cello by Henri Dutilleux, or the Es, S of Stravinsky (mib) in the piece by Boulez (Ritual); so I had to consider only the intervals (third, second, fifth) and their inversions. Then, in the third stanza, the name of Patrice Emery Lumumba is coded into a series of long and short intervals using the principles of Morse code and is set out several times in a simple and secret polyrhythm.
Trois strophes sur le nom de Patrice Emery Lumumba
Créées le 11 octobre 2008
Paris Radio France, dans le cadre du festival présence
Hélène Desaint : alto solo
Ensemble 2e 2m, direction : Pierre Roullier
Editions de l'Agité
Formation :
Alto solo, viole de gambe, deux contrebasses, harpe et timbales
Viola solo, viola da gamba, two double basses, harp and timpani
Bratsche Solo, Viola da gamba, zwei Kontrabässe, Harfe und Pauken
12'
Three Stanzas for Patrice Emery Lumumba
Written for the violist Helen Desaint, these three stanzas that are connected without interruption, honor (albeit modestly) the greatest politician and main figure of Congo's independence in 1960, Patrice Emery Lumumba. His arrest, lynching and assassination in 1961, after a few months in power and a sordid Belgian and American plot, were the first violent images I was confronted with in my youth, and they have remained with me since. In accordance with the tradition I have tried to use the letters in the name of Patrice Lumumba in the construction of the piece: -A---CE -----BA, or la - do, mi, si, la. But here we run out of the possibilities offered by: BACH, DSCH / ray, mib, do, si (Dimitri Schostakovitch), SACHER from the Three Stanzas for cello by Henri Dutilleux, or the Es, S of Stravinsky (mib) in the piece by Boulez (Ritual); so I had to consider only the intervals (third, second, fifth) and their inversions. Then, in the third stanza, the name of Patrice Emery Lumumba is coded into a series of long and short intervals using the principles of Morse code and is set out several times in a simple and secret polyrhythm.