To Chantal

It is when in a moment of sharp consciousness, Matter through the proliferation of its forms strikes us with the measure of the ephemeral. A painful and at the same time magnificent experience.
One being dissolved in the Number.
Magnificence of the abounding and of each of its fragile manifestations.
Sparkling of Presence.
Infinitely admirable moment of the kissing of parallels.
And Time.

Which could be the sense of this action, this abounding of sound, other than an answer to the amazement to the luxurious prodigality and the sumptuousness of Matter.
And this little sentence, these few words, that carried me along or guided me, I don’t recall:

“Then as a drapery,
Spring came
On our dazzled bodies.”

— LF

The technical and compositional challenge here is the work on metamorphosis. Using a single type of material (electric guitar) I had to find the tools and develop the processes to make it evolve in a form which, through the transformations of sound, would generate a spiral effect.

On a formal level: Les corps éblouis is a work in which, through the development of this principle of metamorphosis, the result is that the Form is only legible superficially, and that it grows on the listener according to an irrational process.

[ii-98]

Les corps éblouis was commissioned by the French State (Music Office) and the Ina-GRM (Paris). It was realized at the GRM studios (1992-93) and premiered by Francis Dhomont (sound projection) in June, 1993 in the Salle Olivier Messiaen of the Maison de Radio France (Paris, France) as part of the Son-Mu concert series. The work was reworked in 1994 and the current version premiered at the Théâtre national de Marseille (France). Les corps éblouis was awarded the 2nd prize at the 22nd Bourges International Electroacoustic Music Competition (France, 1994) and was also awarded Distinctions at the Prix Ars Electronica (Linz, Austria, 1995, 97).

Composition

• 1992 – 1993, Groupe de recherches musicales – Institut national de l’audiovisuel (Ina-GRM), Paris (France)

Revision

• 1994, Personal studio, Montréal (Québec)

Premiere

• June 1993, Cycle acousmatique Son-Mu 93: Concert, Salle Olivier Messiaen — Maison de Radio France, Paris (France)

Awards

• 2nd prize, Studio Electroacoustic Music Prize, 22th Bourges International Electroacoustic Music Competition 1994, Bourges (Cher, France)
• Honorable Mention, Computer Music, Prix Ars Electronica 1995, Linz (Austria)
• Honorable Mention, Computer Music, Prix Ars Electronica 1997, Linz (Austria)