Page 16 - The Strad (February 2020)
P. 16
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PREMIERE of the MONTH
Shake, rattle and roll
A solo journey into the underworld
COMPOSER Jérôme Combier
WORK Wood and Bones
ARTIST Eric-Maria Couturier
DATE 15 February
PLACE Maison de la Radio, Paris bit.ly/2sFhcmS
Jérôme Combier Eric-Maria Couturier
wanted to create the music of an unknown ritual,’ says down by a semitone each, Combier transforms the range
French composer Jérôme Combier. ‘ere’s no “human” of available natural harmonics and the harmonies they are
‘Ivoice in Wood and Bones. It has disappeared, along with able to create.
the melody, and been replaced with obstinate pulsations and Filled with details of exactly where on the instrument
improbable timbres. e wood summons the spirits, and the and with what means each sound is to be produced, Combier’s
bones keep fate at bay.’ Combier is describing his new work for score is clearly inuenced by composers such as Helmut
solo cello, which this month will receive its rst performance, Lachenmann, preoccupied with the physicality of the
by Ensemble Intercontemporain cellist Eric-Maria Couturier instrument and its performer. ‘ere’s nowhere to hide when
as part of Paris’s Présences festival of contemporary music. you’re writing a solo piece,’ says Combier. ‘You’re alone with the
‘In my music I like to explore gentle, elusive sounds as well as technical limitations and possibilities. at can be a good thing,
energetic gestures that capture the virtuosity of the musician,’ though, and writing for the cello, I found a wealth of extended
Combier explains. ‘Wood and Bones has more to do with the techniques to explore. I would take sketches to Eric-Maria and
latter, but its two high-energy outer movements are separated we would discuss how the gestures I wanted might work on the
by some more restrained music that explores the sounds of the instrument, and how best to notate them. I was very grateful for
open strings and their harmonics in one long sentence.’ By his insights – he is an incredible musician who knew straight
instructing Couturier to tune his instrument’s G and D strings away how to transform my ideas into music.’
16 THE STRAD FEBRUARY 2020 www.thestrad.com
