8/10/2019 Suite Liturgique André Jolivet

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A paradox: in 1946 French composer André Jolivet expressed a desire ‘to restore music’s original,ancient meaning hen it as still a magical and !eseeching expression o" the religiousness o" tri!alcommunities’# $ut to achieve this idealised vision o" primeval, pagan anti%uit& ' o" musicuntouched !& the classical tradition as de"ined !& a lineage that ran "rom $ach to (ahler ' hegra!!ed at ideas uni%ue to his o n time and place#Jolivet as o!sessed ith the music o" )dgard *ar+se, the renegade French composer horelocated to e -or. /it& in 190 and responded to his ne ur!an environment !& "illing his pieces ith sirens and percussion, and ho imagined the potential o" electronic music long !e"oretechnolog& existed to ma.e it possi!le#2hen technolog& eventuall& did catch up ith *ar+se, he created 3éserts, hich implanted anelectronic tape part inside the orchestral metropolis, and the purel& electronic o+me électroni%ue:music designed to move classical composition "ar outside its must& )uropean origins, to ards theexpanded consciousness o" the mind and into outer space#*ar+se too. Jolivet as his onl& )uropean composition student and the& !onded over a shared"ascination "or exotic m&thologies and ancient cultures, and over the idea that a pseudo5scienti"icmode o" control could provo.e !old, chaotic sound masses# (agic and ancient ritual occupied animportant role in Jolivet’s music titles such as /in% incantations pour "l7te seule, /in% dansesrituelles and 8pithalame )pithalamium all relate to m&sterious spiritualities, hile ;uite delphi%uere"ers to the ancient musical practices o" the <ree. cit& o" 3elphi#=he suite "orm appealed to Jolivet# >is 1940 ;uite liturgi%ue set sections o" /atholic liturg& "orchoir and mixed ensem!le, !ut ;uite delphi%ue gre "rom a di""erent t&pe o" impulse# ?n 194@Jolivet had provided incidental music "or per"ormances !& theatre group /omédie Fran aise o"?phigenia in Aulis !& the classical <ree. riter )uripides, ho died in 4B6!c# =he proCect allo edJolivet to unearth and trans"orm ancient <ree. material, as he constructed his music "rom themodalities and melodic moti"s o" an ancient 3elphic h&mn# ;uite delphi%ue "ilets that same musicinto a concert version#Jolivet called "or an orchestra that resonated ith the past and the "uture: surrounding an acousticensem!le o" "lute, o!oe, clarinet, t o horns, trumpet, trom!one and harp is a vast percussion section

manned !& t o percussionists and an ondes martenot the electronic instrument invented in 190Dthat com!ined the electric iEardr& o" the theremin ith a .e&!oard # =he or. !egins as the h&mnis intoned in the ood inds, ith strangel& clashing harmonic overtones seeming to ‘detune’ theorchestra# ?t ends ith a digni"ied "uneral cort+ge#