Trois poemes d'Henri Michaux
for 20-Part Mixed Choir and Orchestra
Witold Lutosławski's opus titled Three Poems of Henri Michaux opened a new chapter, a new trend in the history of relations between poetic word and music. There is particular poetic affinity between the two artists: affinity in the wit of thought, concentration of artistic statement, paradoxes and ''madnesses'' of imagination harnessed into a higher discipline of form and striving towards perfection. Lutosławski chose three poetic miniatures from Michaux's poems and he wrote them out onto a large performing apparatus thus using it to create a cycle of instrumental and vocal symphonic pictures of a perfect proportionality and contrast. The first part is a light and ethereal prelude, the second a picture of a struggle, full of movement and the dynamic sound of the commotion of matter against form. The third part contemplates in adagio the ''experienced misfortune'' with the long sounds bringing an assent to lot. ''The vocal part of Three Poems, apart from singing, includes a variety of human voice application, such as shouting, speech and whispering. Relaxation of time relations between sounds also plays a crucial role, it often changes over to the aleatoricism, where in many places particular performers can treat their parts freely. Likewise in many places different kinds of rhythms appear simultaneously, it was necessary to introduce two conductors while performing this composition.'' [Witold Lutosławski]
- Words: Henri Michaux
- Language of text: fre
- Cover: softcover
- Type: score
Out of Print
