The Sphere and the rock (1993-94)
For recorded sounds.
Commissioned by INA-GRM (Musical Research Group)
Premiered on 16th May, 1994 at Salle Olivier Messiæn – Cycle Son-MU, Maison de Radio France
Duration: 17’ 30”
Two influences are in the origin of the composition of this piece.
The first one I owe to Borges’ Aleph:
“…the only place on earth where all places are — seen from every angle”, “The Faithful who gather at the mosque of Amr, in Cairo, are acquainted with the fact that the entire universe lies inside one of the stone pillars that ring its central court… No one, of course, can actually see it, but those who lay an ear against the surface tell that after some short while they perceive its busy hum…”
Perhaps we all look for that impossible concentration in immaterial music, a totality in an individual form.
The other influence is pictorial.
Attracted by Abel Robino’s Cartongraphie (Cardoard images),
I decided that the piece should go in the direction it suggested. A short time later, the Cartongraphie’s origin would be revealed to me by its author: a map of Cairo.
Today I believe that the Aleph, that spot where the whole universe is concentrated, is internal. A product of our intellect or our imagination. Making this piece allowed me to catch a glimpse of it, in the solitary introspective work of the studio where everything is possible.
La sphère et la pierre
[ Urbana Cycle ]
[ Solo instrument / with or without electronics ]
