Marked by the death of his father, the American composer Josh Levine has imagined a musical tomb like the music that was created in 17th century France.
The electronics shape the harp, disintegrate it, and complete its dissolution in space. Subtle techniques of distortion, modulation, microtonal transpositions destabilize the instrument's timbre and the intonation. The transformed harp is surrounded by external sounds—the ocean, streams, rustling leaves—and the space itself becomes a vast lung. Spectral hints of richly ornamented pieces such as Froberger's Tombeau (1652) on the death of Monsieur Blancrocher drift across the room like decorations. "Their pale presence will, I hope, open a portal to an even deeper pool of remembrance and memory." (J. Levine).
Complementing this premiere is Michael Jarrell's Offrande from an earlier concertante work, and David Fulmer's premiere, incorporating a Bach chorale.
Parker Ramsay harp
João Svidzinski IRCAM electronics
Clément Marie IRCAM sound diffusion
Michael Jarrell Offrande
David Fulmer Immaculate sigh of stars – Premiere 2023
Josh LevineAnyway, commissioned by IRCAM-Centre Pompidou – Premiere 2023
Unfortunately, the Espace de projection is not accessible to people with reduced mobility.
- Composer Josh Levine © Dorian Levine
- Composer David Fulmer © Sonja Georgevich
- Harpist Parker Ramsey © Tatiana Daubek