Impressed by the intensity and the violence of Lautreamont's the Chants de Maldoror, the composer took several phrases from this book and assembled them into a kind of lyrical poem.
The setting for the work is during a night of horror and nightmares. Maldoror, who is on the verge of hallucination, goes into a cemetary and speaks with the grave-digger there. All of the crosses, which are planted on the tombs like so many question marks, bring to mind the question of Human Existence.
A long meditative phrase from the cellos, a bass clarinet solo and a brutal outburst from the percussion brings the gravedigger back to reality, who repeats the last phrase three times in an obsession manner Thus, in this violent and extremely contrasted work, we are reminded of Jean Cocteau's thought:
"It must be said that certain works are haunting, upsetting your moral comfort and which teach you that the best school is that of men who live outside of taught rules".
Besetzung
2 flutes (2me flute prend le piccolo/2nd flute doubles piccolo)
2 hautbois/oboes
2 clarinettes sib (2me clarinette prend la clarinette basse/2nd clarinet doubles the bass clarinet)
2 bassons/bassoons
4 cors/4 horns
3 trompettes/trumpets
3 trombones
timbales/tympani
Percussion I :
2 cymbales suspendues (aigu medium)
Cymbales Frappees
1 grosse caisse
3 Tomtoms
1 tambour
Percussion II :
2 cymbales suspendues (medium, grave)
1 cymbale chinoise
1 tambour
3 tamtam (aigu, medium, grave)
Percussion III :
cloches/tubular bells
(c3-g4/c'-g")
Percussion IV :
Xylophone
Vibraphone
Celesta
Harpe
Quintette a Cordes