various / recollection grm

Traces One

*Another indispensable glimpse into the GRM archive courtesy of the mighty Editions Mego* Editions Mego, in coordination with GRM's Christian Zanési & Francois Bonnet, present five relatively unknown pieces from the Parisian electro-acoustic music research institute's archives. At the risk of sounding lazy, we've always been afraid of the GRM catalogue; it's massive and frankly, we don't know much about it other than there's some really incredible, foundational sounds in there. So it's a blessing that these guys have undertaken the task to exhume the label's most unknown souls because let's face, none of us were ever going to! They present us with five pieces ranging from airborne acousmatic drones to roiling mechanical rhythms and dramatic cacophony, each a minor masterpiece in its own right. We love the lingo of these boffins so we'd best let them describe the pieces: Beatriz Ferreyra L\' Orvietan (1970) Work composed of two separate movements, the first drawing from electronic sounds, the second from concrete ones. These two sources do not meet, they equally tend towards sound antagonism and a complementarity of spirit. Philippe Carson Turmac (1961) This work was created from the sounds of machines of the Stuyvesant factories (Holland). Three movements follow one another: first, the spell of rhythms and a build-up that gradually removes the listener from the mechanical reality. A more animated movement follows, full of contrasts. The third part is a long crescendo in terms of intensity, density and thickness, which results in a paroxysm. \"The noise environment of the workplace is thus transposed, ennobled and magnified\" (J. ROY.) 1961. Edgardo Canton I palpiti (1966) "For some time I thought that Gaetano Donizetti had written an Aria called \"I palpiti...\" but apparently this is not the case. Nevermind. This piece acquired an evocative value linked to the pleasure the music of this composer gives me. Just like the fervent \"prima donna\" donizetian choirs, anything that lives, also pulses, shivers and quivers. These are the qualities of life I have tried to convey here. (E.C.) Francis Régnier Chemins d\'avant la mort(1968) Chemins d\'avant la mort is one of the few works created by Francis Regnier at the GRM, where he was technical coordinator. It is a short piece, composed as a gesture, a dramatic blast stretched between two sound lines rising from and returning to silence. Mireille Chamass-Kyrou Etude 1(1960) "Etude 1 consists in three sequences, the first two each develop a single sound object.\" The one that generates the first sequence is characterized by an asymmetrical crescendo-decrescendo and a material whose grain constantly fluctuates. The second sequence multiplies a sound object reduced to its attack in tiny elements divided into three zones that differentiate the overall density and size of the elements: Giant molecules, more defined constellations and fine dust sound. They gradually condense in the third sequence as a kaleidoscopic stretto\".