Premiere : 31 mars 2025, écoles du quartier Hautepierre, Strasbourg
Commissioned and produced: Les Percussions de Strasbourg
Musicians : 4 percussionnistes
Duration : 15’
Part of the “MINIMAL” program.
Avant, pendant, et pourtant is a work for percussion quartet. Conceived in three movements, two fast sections frame a slow episode. The first movement introduces a repetitive, mechanical vibraphone loop. Initially supported by the bowed marimbas, it becomes more complex and hypnotic. A melodic motif gradually emerges, traveling between the two vibraphones in stereo. It begins with an ascending fifth, symbolizing the love we feel for someone. The texture becomes denser as the marimbas are deployed over a wider range. As their rhythmic drive grows, they carry the material to a climax that makes the love motif sing. Tensions gradually ease, but the resulting soft sheet of sound suddenly fades, as if something unexpected had happened. The mood changes radically in the slow movement. The mysterious sound of the bows on the metal blades, combined with the drone of the marimbas, creates a stripped-down, darker atmosphere. The fifth, symbolizing love, is maintained here by the bows playing on the wooden blades. This gives it a fragile, flickering texture and a sense of expectation. The vibraphones, with their pure, ethereal sound, seem to float above. We feel as if we’re suspended above an ominous void, facing the unknown. The ending remains enigmatic. The appearance of a regular pulse marks the beginning of the last movement. To this pulsation is added a motif of rapid, continuous flow. It undergoes a series of variations that give this episode its dance-like character. Using the contrasts between the different registers of the keyboards, I wanted to explore their broad palette of possible colors. By making the motifs travel from one instrument to another – sometimes by changing the timbre, sometimes by using the same timbre but alternating in stereo – I wanted to play with sound space. The uninterrupted flow and variety of colors and contrasts contribute to the development of a rousing episode full of surprises, but above all brighter than the preceding movements. Towards the end of the piece, we gradually move away from the dance character. The material transforms organically, returning to the elements of the first part and its climax. One by one, these elements fade away, leaving only the hypnotic loop of the very beginning to be heard. By naming the last movement “Et pourtant”, I wanted to express the possibility of creating happy moments despite the tragic event of the slow section corresponding to the moment when we learn of the illness of a loved one. Despite the hardships that life sometimes inflicts on us, there are moments of peace, filled with hope, light and timelessness. It’s these precious moments that count, that inspire us and move us forward. I’ve always been fascinated by percussion, and it was a great pleasure for me to write this work, commissioned by the Percussions de Strasbourg. It was an opportunity for me to showcase the virtuosity of the ensemble’s musicians, as well as the unique beauty of these instruments.
Camille Pépin