for mixed choir, violin, viola, cello and double bass
While I was in Spain as a guest of the Casa de Velázquez, I discovered ‘‘Cancionero espiritual’’ (from Valladolid). From this anonymous collection of mystical poems published in 1549, I extracted this beautiful poem whose three first rhymes gave me the idea for the title of ‘‘Suspiros’’; these three liminary rhymes sum up the content of the whole poem: the theme of the absence of God and the grief that results from it suggested to the poet a fiery flow of powerful images along the next ten stanzas, haunted by a visionary exaltation. The piece divides itself into five uninterrupted sections: Si con extrema tristura, Si en esta cárcel, ¿ Cómo no oyes ?, Si me trae tan congojoso and ¡ Ay de mí !
A commissioned work for the association ‘‘Musique Nouvelle en Liberté’’, ‘‘Suspiros’’ is dedicated to Joël Suhubiette and the choir ‘‘Les Éléments’’, who premiered it in Auch in 2004.
text: anonymous poem (in Castillan) extracted from ‘‘Cancionero de Valladolid’’ (1549)
composed in: 1997-2004
commissioned work for Musique Nouvelle en Liberté
premiered in: 2004, Auch, Cathedral, by Philippe Couvert, violin, Louis Merlet, viola, Dominique Dujardin, cello, Michel Maldonado, double bass, and chamber choir Les Éléments, Joël Suhubiette, cond.
duration: 15’
publisher: Jobert
discography: Hervé Lamy, tenor, Philippe Couvert, violin, Louis Merlet, viola, Dominique Dujardin, cello, Jean Ané, double bass, and chamber choir Les Éléments, Joël Suhubiette, cond., 2004 (« De profundis » HORTUS 036)
YouTube I. ¡ Ay de mí !
YouTube II. Si en esta cárcel
YouTube III. ¿ Cómo no oyes ?
YouTube IV. Si me trae tan congojoso
YouTube V. ¡ Ay de mí !