The Concerto pour piano MIDI (Concerto for MIDI Piano) with its classical concerto form, is made of three movements (moderately fast, slow, fast) and one cadenza at the end of the first movement. The orchestra is substituted by computer controlled synthesizers and samplers. This piece, initially composed for the Yamaha MIDI grand piano, juxtapose electronic sounds produced by the Yamaha TX816 synthesizer to the acoustic piano sonority without ever masking the latter. It was important to always have the acoustic piano sound be heard in order to reveal the musician’s performance.

During the composition of the Concerto pour piano MIDI I looked for the specificities of the musician and of the machine (the computer) and for an area common to both. I used the synthesizers to produce an ensemble whose sonority is close to acoustic instruments. However the computer allows the use of combinations, articulations and homorhythms impossible to obtain with human performers. The soloist, though tied to the nightmarish precision of the tape, brings to the music elements of expression and emotion. This merging of specificities invites the musician to enter the dangerous and risky region of the immutable precision of the computer. His performance sensibility brings to the piece the organic quality essential to musical creation.

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The piece was realized in 1989 and premiered by Jacques Drouin on November 8, 1989 during a concert of the Nouvel ensemble moderne (NEM) at the Chapelle historique du Bon-Pasteur in Montréal. The Concerto pour piano MIDI was commissioned by Jacques Drouin with support from the Canada Council for the Arts (CCA). Thanks to Stan Zielinski, to Yamaha (Canada), to Archambault Musique, and to Lorraine Vaillancourt.

Composition

• 1989

Premiere

• November 8, 1989, Jacques Drouin, piano MIDI, synthesizers, samplers • Les solistes du Nouvel ensemble moderne, Chapelle historique du Bon-Pasteur, Montréal (Québec)

About this sound recording

This version of the Concerto pour piano MIDI substitutes a MIDI controller and sampler for the MIDI grand piano and was recorded by Jacques Drouin at the composer’s studio in March 1990.

Recording

• March 1990, Alain Thibault • Personal studio, Montréal (Québec)

Performers

• Jacques Drouin, MIDI piano

Recording

• March 1990, Alain Thibault • Personal studio, Montréal (Québec)

Performers

• Jacques Drouin, MIDI piano

Recording

• March 1990, Alain Thibault • Personal studio, Montréal (Québec)

Performers

• Jacques Drouin, MIDI piano

Recording

• March 1990, Alain Thibault • Personal studio, Montréal (Québec)

Performers

• Jacques Drouin, MIDI piano

The title of this work comes from a book by Japanese writer Yukio Mishima. Le soleil et l’acier [Sun and Steel] refers to the types and processing of the sounds used in the composition and orchestration but mostly to the contrasts that it can trigger in our mind (such as: organic/synthetic, energy/inertia…). The piece has nothing to do with the book of Mishima and does not use any text; the choice of the phonemes is left to the singer. In fact, this piece is inspired by the first hexagram of the Yi King, “K’ien/The Creator” which is composed of six full lines corresponding to the original power, yang, which is luminous, strong, spiritual and active; its image is the sky. The hexagram includes also the power of time, the power of perseverance in time, the duration (see Yi King, The Book of Transformations by Richard Wilhelm).

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Le soleil et l’acier was realized at the composer’s studio in Montréal and premiered by Pauline Vaillancourt on February 22, 1988 at the Du Maurier Theatre in Toronto. The piece was commissioned by the Canadian Electronic Ensemble (CEE) with assistance of the Ontario Arts Council.

Composition

• 1988, Personal studio, Montréal (Québec)

Premiere

• February 22, 1988, Pauline Vaillancourt, soprano • Concert, Du Maurier Theatre — Harbourfront Centre, Toronto (Ontario, Canada)

About this sound recording

This version was reworked in March 1990 for the play Rivage à l’abandon by Heiner Müller produced by the Carbone 14 theater company (directed by Gilles Maheu), and was recorded at the Studio Nostre Dame (recording engineer: Jean Corriveau) in Montréal.

Recording

• March 1990, Jean Corriveau • Nostre Dame, Montréal (Québec)

Performers

• Pauline Vaillancourt, soprano

This piece was originally composed for my video opera OUT which combines electroacoustics with video projection on 30 monitors and 2 giant screens, live digital video processing and MIDI video switching system, electronic percussion (Octapad and Kat MIDI controllers), MIDI saxophone (PitchRider MIDI converter) and soprano voice.

OUT tells the story of a being who travels mentally through simulated universes called “OUT-Realities.” In the year 2084, the world government led by a clone of President Reagan, rules the “OUT-Realities” psychic immigration for the earth inhabitants. Illusion and hallucination become everyday life and the way to eternal peace for those who cross over from the “in” to the “out” realities.

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The four sections from the video-opera included here are: God’s Greatest Gift; Nô-Where; Impossible Orchestra; OUT-Réalité. The first section is constructed around a quote from a television speech by Ronald Reagan on abortion: “God’s greatest gift is human life.” The second and third sections may be performed live with MIDI instruments. The fourth section was extracted from a music video documenting the video opera.

OUT was realized at the Fairlight Studio of the Faculty of Music of the Université de Montréal and premiered at Le Spectrum de Montréal on December 5, 1985 by the Société de musique contemporaine du Québec (SMCQ). A new version of the video opera was presented in September 21, 1987 by New Music Concerts in Toronto. Thanks to Robert Leroux.

Composition

• 1985, Faculté de musique – Université de Montréal – Studio Fairlight, Montréal (Québec)

Revision

• 1986, Montréal (Québec)

Premiere

• December 5, 1985, (S)PACE, Le Spectrum de Montréal, Montréal (Québec)

About this sound recording

This version — shortened and for tape — of OUT was realized in 1986.

Mixing

• 1986

Mixing

• 1986

Mixing

• 1986

Mixing

• 1986

Mixing

• 1986

The different sections of the piece come from the eight mutation phases of life as described by Timothy Leary in his book Exo-Psychology (1977).

“To fly towards the stars, the biological robot must go inside itself, be in control of its body, of its brain, of its DNA…”

— Timothy Leary

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ELVIS (Électro-lux, vertige illimité synthétique) was originally composed as a multimedia work with computer controlled visual support designed by Jacques Collin. It was premiered on August 15, 1985 at Digicon ’85, the 2nd International Arts Conference on Computers and Creativity, in Vancouver (British Columbia, Canada). The composition of this piece was made possible with support from the Canada Council for the Arts (CCA) and the ministère des Affaires culturelles du Québec. Arrangement of the saxophone parts: Walter Boudreau.

Composition

• 1985, Personal studio, Montréal (Québec)

Premiere

• August 15, 1985, Digicon ’85 — 2nd International Arts Conference on Computers and Creativity, Vancouver (British Columbia, Canada)

About this sound recording

This version was realized in 1987 in the studio of the Faculty of Music of Université de Montréal (recording technician: Michel Bédard) and at the studio Bruit blanc (Montréal).

Recording

• 1987, Michel Bédard • Faculté de musique – Université de Montréal, Montréal (Québec)

Mixing

• 1987, Alain Thibault • Studio Bruit blanc, Montréal (Québec)

Performers

• Quatuor de saxophones de Montréal (Walter Boudreau; Dave Clark; René Masino; Simon Stone)

Volt was originally composed in 1987 for synthesizers, electric bass, MIDI percussions, marimba and tape. Volt was commissioned by the Arraymusic Ensemble from Toronto and premiered at the Rivoli Club in Toronto on April 4, 1987, during a special event of the regular concert series. The concert was entitled Modern Electrics and was made of works with pop or rock influences written by composers from the contemporary music sphere. Thanks to Henry Kucharzyk.

Composition

• 1987, Personal studio, Montréal (Québec)

Premiere

• April 4, 1987, Arraymusic Ensemble • Modern Electrics, Rivoli Club, Toronto (Ontario, Canada)

About this sound recording

This recording is the computer-controlled studio version.

Recording

• Personal studio, Montréal (Québec)