Adaptation of the acousmatic piece Le renard et la rose (1995), third piece of a cycle started in 1991 based on the exclusive use of the voice. Especially the onomatopoeia considered only in cases where human language sound corresponds directly to the object, gesture or feeling designated and not its abstract representation.

It consists of five movements: Babbling and rhythm, Nostalgia and timbre, Anger and dynamic, Lassitude and space, and Serenity and texture.

One will also find a little hidden, themes composed for the work Le petit prince (The Little Prince) in 1994 for Radio-Canada: the King, the Businessman, the Vain, the Flight of Birds, the Well of the desert, the Little Flower, the Rose, the Baobabs, the Lamplighter, the Merchant of water pills, the Fox and the Geographer.

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Baobabs was realized in 2012 at The Banff Centre for the Arts with support from the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ) and premiered on May 15, 2013 by Stéphanie Lessard, soprano; Marie-Annick Béliveau, alto; Michiel Schrey, tenor; Pierre Étienne Bergeron, bass; Sixtrum (João Catalão, Julien Compagne, Julien Grégoire, Philip Hornsey, Kristie Ibrahim, Fabrice Marandola), percussion, during the concert Des puces et des drums in the MultiMedia Room of McGill University in Montréal. The piece was commissioned by Sixtrum with support from the Canada Council for the Arts (CCA). Thanks to Odile Magan, Fabrice Marandola to the original impulse, Greg Samek for his advice, Patrick Saint-Denis for his help to make transparent the technical and especially Luc Simard who has transformed my rantings in readable score. Baobabs was awarded the 1st prize (mixed music) in the Musica Nova 2013 International Competition of Electroacoustic Music (Prague, Czech Republic).

Composition

• 2012, The Banff Centre for the Arts, Banff (Alberta, Canada)

Premiere

• May 15, 2013, Stéphanie Lessard, soprano; Marie-Annick Béliveau, alto; Michiel Schrey, tenor; Pierre-Étienne Bergeron, bass; Sixtrum (João Catalão, Julien Compagne, Julien Grégoire, Philip Hornsey, Kristie Ibrahim, Fabrice Marandola), percussion • Des puces et des drums, Music Multimedia Room — Pavillon de musique Elizabeth Wirth — Université McGill, Montréal (Québec)

Awards

• 1st prize, Category B (mixed work), Musica Nova 2013, Prague (Czech Republic)

About this sound recording

The present recording was realized by Denis Martin on May 16, 2013 during the repeat performance of the premiere concert; the mix was finalized by the composer in September 2014.

Recording

• May 16, 2013, Denis Martin • Music Multimedia Room – Pavillon de musique Elizabeth Wirth – Université McGill, Montréal (Québec)

Mixing

• September 2014, Robert Normandeau • Personal studio, Montréal (Québec)

Performers

• Stéphanie Lessard, soprano
• Marie-Annick Béliveau, viola
• Michiel Schrey, tenor
• Pierre-Étienne Bergeron, bass
• Sixtrum (João Catalão; Julien Compagne; Julien Grégoire; Philip Hornsey; Kristie Ibrahim; Fabrice Marandola)