Chef d’orchestre particuličrement actif dans le monde contemporain (ŕ Paris, Londres, Budapest, Hilversum, Göteborg, Berlin, Los Angeles, Milan, Bruxelles…), Peter Eötvös revendique sa filiation de compositeur hongrois, en lien avec Bartok, Ligeti ou Kurtag. Avec cet Halleluja - Oratorium Balbulum, le compositeur questionne (avec une certaine lourdeur) la relation entre les mots et la musique, entre parler, chanter, émettre des sons - l’expression bégayante. Il parle de notre anxiété quant au futur, nous qui vivons plutôt bien, comme peut-ętre jamais auparavant, mais qui craignons de perdre ce - relatif - confort. Instrumentaux, les trois mouvements de Alle Vittime Senza Nome soufflent une légčreté bienvenue dans ce disque, męme si le thčme du morceau est tout sauf joyeux, puisqu’il évoque les émigrés africains ou arabes partis de leurs villages ŕ la poursuite de ręves insensés, chimčres qui se noient en Méditerranée, tombées de Zodiacs surpeuplés. Mais la tendresse des mélodies des instruments solo, męme contrebalancée par l’épaisse masse sonore de l’orchestre, redonne un espoir en la vie. (Bernard Vincken) “Halleluja – Oratorium balbulum" is a portrait of the times in which we live, says Peter Eötvös. It is a sarcastic work with postmodern medley passages across music history. The plot takes place on several levels: among the performers as well as with the audience in the concert situation. The language is frighteningly clear, as is the rest of the situation we encounter: We experience Eötvös’s polyglot vision not so much in the language as in the music. There are numerous more or less recognizable quotations from Gregorian chant, Monteverdi and Schein; from Bach and Handel, as well as from Mussorgsky and Gospel music. Alle vittime senza nome [To the Nameless Victims], a purely instrumental work, makes no use of language and nevertheless succeeds in conveying the images and experi¬ences of our time. In three movements, the journey of those seeking protection is illustrated by music in a free narrative style, with delicate solo passages as well as broad waves of sound in the orchestra. “Alle vittime senza nome is meant to remind us of the many Arab and African people who have climbed into over¬crowded boats with dreams of reaching a better life only to drown in the waters of the Mediterranean off the coast of Italy.” Eötvös wants to create an awareness of the people that goes beyond the conventional images in the media.
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