Vingt-quatre préludes à la vie
Michel Chion, Christiane Sacco Zagaroli
Programme notes
“He cried out in a loud voice
: Lazarus, come out! And the dead man came out, tied hand and foot with burial bands, and his face was wrapped in a shroud.”— John, 11, 43-44
The 24 préludes à la vie (24 Preludes to Life) conceived, along with Dix études de musique concrète, 1988, Variations, 1990, and the Sonate, 1990, as part of a series of works of a technical character, formal and demonstrative, its purpose being to illustrate the resources of musique concrète and especially to explore the possibilities of concision appropriate to this means of expression, to fight against its distinct tendencyand mineto become stagnant. More colourful and diversified than the Dix études de musique concrète, which tend to be graphic draughts, the 24 préludes à la vie once again take up abstract and pictorial inspiration while at the same time being inspired in their form by the homonymous collection of Frédéric Chopin
In keeping with the above requirements, the work revealed itself during the course of composition to be for me a sort of echo of the Requiem and other preceding works and assumed a particular meaning that I could summarize by these four words
The evangelical episode of the resurrection of Lazarus, already evoked in the Requiem, inspired certain pieces, notably the first and last, and the fifth prelude Éveil (Awakening) makes reference to the trembling which John mentions that Jesus experienced before the tomb of his friend.
“It is about life. About being alive, in flesh and in spirit.”
24 préludes à la vie was commissioned by the French State (Music Office) and the Ina-GRM (Paris) and realized in its studios. The text of the 24th prelude is by Christiane Sacco Zagaroli and is spoken by Cécile Sacco. The work premiered in a preliminary version of 20 movements on April 10, 1989 during a concert of the Cycle acousmatique series (produced by the GRM in Paris), and in its complete version on May 31, 1990, during the Semaine festival organized by the Groupe de musiques vivantes de Lyon (GMVL) at Villa Gillet. 24 préludes à la vie is in 2 books. First book
Premiere
- April 10, 1989, Cycle acousmatique 1989
: Concert, Grand Auditorium — Maison de Radio France, Paris (France)
- Writer(s): Christiane Sacco Zagaroli
- Composer(s): Michel Chion
- Year of composition: 1989-90
- Instrumentation: stereo fixed medium
- Commission: French State (Music Office), Ina-GRM
Movements
Linceul
- Movement of: Vingt-quatre préludes à la vie
- Duration: 0:59
- ISRC: CAD509511300
Libera me
- Movement of: Vingt-quatre préludes à la vie
- Duration: 1:39
- ISRC: CAD509511310
Aux morts
- Movement of: Vingt-quatre préludes à la vie
- Duration: 0:37
- ISRC: CAD509511320
La Piazza
- Movement of: Vingt-quatre préludes à la vie
- Duration: 0:35
- ISRC: CAD509511330
Éveil
- Movement of: Vingt-quatre préludes à la vie
- Duration: 0:54
- ISRC: CAD509511340
Dans la nurserie
- Movement of: Vingt-quatre préludes à la vie
- Duration: 1:16
- ISRC: CAD509511350
Chant simple
- Movement of: Vingt-quatre préludes à la vie
- Duration: 0:40
- ISRC: CAD509511360
La source
- Movement of: Vingt-quatre préludes à la vie
- Duration: 1:20
- ISRC: CAD509511370
Oubli
- Movement of: Vingt-quatre préludes à la vie
- Duration: 0:22
- ISRC: CAD509511380
Matines
- Movement of: Vingt-quatre préludes à la vie
- Duration: 1:29
- ISRC: CAD509511390
Danse de l’Ombre
- Movement of: Vingt-quatre préludes à la vie
- Duration: 2:57
- ISRC: CAD509511400
Qu’est-ce que?
- Movement of: Vingt-quatre préludes à la vie
- Duration: 0:48
- ISRC: CAD509511410
Ronde de nuit
- Movement of: Vingt-quatre préludes à la vie
- Duration: 2:51
- ISRC: CAD509511420
En songe
- Movement of: Vingt-quatre préludes à la vie
- Duration: 1:16
- ISRC: CAD509511430
Sursauts
- Movement of: Vingt-quatre préludes à la vie
- Duration: 2:13
- ISRC: CAD509511440
Les pleurs
- Movement of: Vingt-quatre préludes à la vie
- Duration: 0:50
- ISRC: CAD509511450
Des hauts et des bas
- Movement of: Vingt-quatre préludes à la vie
- Duration: 0:53
- ISRC: CAD509511460
Terre et ciel
- Movement of: Vingt-quatre préludes à la vie
- Duration: 0:53
- ISRC: CAD509511470
À Pierre Schaeffer
- Movement of: Vingt-quatre préludes à la vie
- Duration: 1:29
- ISRC: CAD509511480
Tumulte
- Movement of: Vingt-quatre préludes à la vie
- Duration: 1:56
- ISRC: CAD509511490
Le couple
- Movement of: Vingt-quatre préludes à la vie
- Duration: 1:19
- ISRC: CAD509511500
Rêve de valse
- Movement of: Vingt-quatre préludes à la vie
- Duration: 3:24
- ISRC: CAD509511520
Annonce
- Movement of: Vingt-quatre préludes à la vie
- Duration: 1:03
- ISRC: CAD509511510
Nous sommes vivants
- Movement of: Vingt-quatre préludes à la vie
- Duration: 9:12
- ISRC: CAD509511530
