… mourir un peu
Francis Dhomont
Programme notes
To Marthe Forget
Where one speaks once again of departures, journeys, farewells (“Leaving is already dying a little…”)
It is not surprising that … mourir un peu (… dying a little) was premiered in Marseille, amongst the relics of the ancient Phocæan harbour
The sea nearby — a symbol both inexhaustible and pluralistic — had to be present. It is, certainly, persistently
The concrete slides into abstraction and then re-emerges
This piece originates from Points de fuite (Vanishing Points) further developing it, and directly draws elements for the fourth movement, Thème de la fuite (Theme of Flight). This movement is the ‘peak of the wave’ made from curves of the increasing and decreasing durations of the nine movements.
… mourir un peu was realized at the studio of the Groupe de musique expérimentale de Marseille (GMEM, France) and at the composer’s studio in Montréal in 1984, and premiered on June 21, 1984 at the Jardins des vestiges in Marseille (France). The fourth movement, Thème de la fuite, was ‘recommended’ at the 2nd International Rostrum of Electroacoustic Music (IREM) in Stockholm (Sweden, 1988) and was first released on the Anthology of Canadian Music
Premiere
- June 21, 1984, Fête de la musique — Concert promenade, Jardin des Vestiges, Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône, France)
- Composer(s): Francis Dhomont
- Year of composition: 1984, 87
- Instrumentation: stereo fixed medium
- Publisher(s): Ymx média
- Commission: French State (Music Office), GMEM
Movements
Marine
Overture. Massalia/Marseille.
- Movement of: … mourir un peu
- Duration: 2:07
- ISRC: CAD509612530
Cartographie liminaire
Opening credits, first drafts, articulation of volume.
- Movement of: … mourir un peu
- Duration: 3:35
- ISRC: CAD509612540
Un certain embarquement
Yes, yes, the one with all of its transports…
- Movement of: … mourir un peu
- Duration: 5:27
- ISRC: CAD509612550
Thème de la fuite
To escape, to disappear
- Movement of: … mourir un peu
- Duration: 8:55
- ISRC: CAD509612560
Transfert I
Passage from a place, from one order to another. From the earth’s center to its surface.
- Movement of: … mourir un peu
- Duration: 6:30
- ISRC: CAD509612570
En abîme
Mirror games, asymptote. The fall to the bottom of the sky.
- Movement of: … mourir un peu
- Duration: 5:14
- ISRC: CAD509612580
Transfert II
New crossing. From earth to sky and beyond the looking glass.
- Movement of: … mourir un peu
- Duration: 4:10
- ISRC: CAD509612590
Palimpseste
Strata and holes of the memory, deletion, blanks. Death and mourning go on, furtively. Recapitulation.
- Movement of: … mourir un peu
- Duration: 3:26
- ISRC: CAD509612600
Il ritorno [sections 1 & 2]
In the steps of Ulysses.
- Movement of: … mourir un peu
- Duration: 5:08
- ISRC: CAD509612610
