Creation : 02.04.1977 at the Royan Festival, conducted by Giuseppe Sinopoli
Music and conception : Hugues Dufourt
Number of musicians : 6 percussionists with conductor
Duration : 70′
Publisher : Henry Lemoine
With Erewhon, Hugues Dufourt embarked upon a potent new dynamic form of expression, veering in a new stylistic and conceptual direction, dramatically changing the treatment of musical parameters – i.e. temporality, space, form, energy and density. His explorations led to the discovery and integration of the percussion section of instruments (Erewhon), followed by electronic stringed and bass wind instruments (Saturne) and finally a full symphony orchestra (Surgir). Erewhon’s four movements encompass sound-noise concepts, examining acoustic volumes and their scope for permutation. With a fresh approach to composition that is resolutely avant-garde, the composer besets formalism with jolts and fractures, creating explosive patches of contrast, areas of intuitive or formal turbulence with outlying dynamic fringes, producing instinctive, genetic or refractory reactions (via harmonics and non-harmonics), zones of emergence, resurgence and persistence with twisted, stretched and compressed outlines and layers of conflicting temporality and tectonics joins. His craftsmanship involves combining traditionally Western assets (a player’s routine gestures and traditional playing styles) with a determined drive for musical emancipation.
The cycle which originally comprised five movements was created at Royan’s 14th International Festival of Contemporary Arts (during the Hugues Dufourt Sessions for the « Perspectives du XX siècle ») on April 1977 at the Théâtre du Casino Municipal. The Percussions de Strasbourg featured Jean Batigne, Gabriel Bouchet, Claude Ricou, Georges Van Gucht, Jean-Pierre Petermann and Olivier Dejours. The sextet was conducted by Giuseppe Sinopli.
Erewhon received great critical acclaim at its first public performance, and was performed by the same ensemble at the Donaueschingen Festival in 1977, the Strasbourg Festival in 1978, the Venice Biennial Festival in 1979 and again at the Musiques Nouvelles Festival in Lyon in 1980.