Je te salue, vieil océan!
Francis Dhomont, Comte de Lautréamont
Programme notes
To the ”disciple” and master Christian Calon
“Ancient ocean, O great celibate […] Tell me then whether the Prince of Darkness resides in you. […] for I will rejoice in the knowledge that Hell lies so near to Man.” — “First canto,” The Songs of Maldoror (Les chants de Maldoror) (1869), Comte de Lautréamont (1846-1870).
The ocean referred to here is the one evoked by Comte de Lautréamont in his fantastic imprecations in The Songs of Maldoror — selected excerpts are read by Marc-Henri Boisse —, an extreme and Satanic universe still attached to Romanticism yet foretelling surrealist poetry. These storms, these breaking waves, this undertow, these hurricanes have little to do with reality — this is a metaphorical ocean, a maritime archetype, whose sound material was obtained either through the treatment of acoustic sounds or synthesis, except for a few rare initial recordings.
— Francis Dhomont [English translation
Je te salue, vieil océan
Premiere
- May 31, 1999, Synthèse 1999
: La mer — Le flux, Grand théâtre — Maison de la culture de Bourges, Bourges (Cher, France) - June 5, 2005, Premiere of the final version
: Synthèse 2005: Internationale Creative 3, Palais Jacques-Cœur, Bourges (Cher, France)
- Writer(s): Comte de Lautréamont
- Composer(s): Francis Dhomont
- Year of composition: 1998, 2000-04
- Duration: 14:54
- Instrumentation: stereo fixed medium
- Publisher(s): Ymx média
- Commission: IMEB
- ISRC: CAD500619960
