A duet for cellos inspired by a poem by Fernando Pessoa

Playing

Belinda Kunz, mezzo-soprano
Valentin Mansard, piano 
Live, concert en l'église protestante de Bouxwiller (67)
15 janvier 2023

Britten, The Highland Baloo (A Charm of Lullabies)

The Jerboa

The Jerboa awakens
In her bed of sand
Shakes the sand off her fur
With her sand-colored paws 
Washes her white-sand belly
Washes her grey-sand back
Dips her paws in her bowl of milk
Licks them



The sun rises like a big orange
Over the desert’s sands
A ray of sunshine
Tickles the whiskers
Of the Jerboa



The Jerboa sits
On her red-sand tail
Places a Muscat grape between her teeth
Sinks her lower incisors
In the tender flesh
Of the grape 
Slides her tongue on her teeth
For 7 minutes
To drink all the juice



The Jerboa takes her school bag
Kisses her jerboa mother
Takes a run up
Rushes off on the sand
In 7 seconds she runs across
The Sahara
Algeria
The Mediterranean sea
Provence
Burgundy
Champagne
And the department of Oise.

La Gerboise

(waking up)

From the black night the sun gets out
Of his bathtub the Sheep climbs out
He eats a pear yogurt.
Before going to the market
He slips on his pink Bermudas
A dubious choice I must confess
For a Fat-Tailed Sheep.

(the Sheep at the office)

The sun makes a massive effort
The Sheep sweats everything he’s got
And although down the blind he brought
The heat keeps coming hotter than hot
It’s that we are in Uganda
Country far away from Persia
Motherland of the Fat-Tailed Sheep.

(the Sheep at the office, continued)

The sun really exaggerates
The Sheep swelters, drips, and sweats 
While another call he awaits
On the phone with the Malacca Straits
The sweat soaks his agenda
This will help me lose some weight
Thinks to himself the Fat-Tailed Sheep.

(the nap)

The sun finally goes more quiet
The Sheep thinks about his diet
Maybe a cracker? Some Gouda?
Alas he goes in his kitchenette
Where is bewitched by the chocolate
Then under the veranda
He sinks into a heavy sleep
Unfortunate Fat-Tailed Sheep.

(the evening)

The sun finally relents 
The Sheep goes to the club to dance
Between his hooves the doe he takes 
At her with his eyes aglow he gapes
And says “do you like Dalida?”
Surprising choice I must admit
For a Fat-Tailed Sheep.

(the return)

The sun sleeps in the black night
The Sheep is filled with despair and blight
The doe in shame cast him out
She said “wow, what an idiot!“
While taking off with the panda
It’s very hard I do concede
To be a Fat-Tailed Sheep.

Le Mouton à Grosses Fesses Treble Choir and Woodwinds Sextet

Dark drops jam - 2021

granular drops - Liveaufnahme 2020

troc

2019 rendering of Le Mouton à Grosses Fesses by the Vancouver Chamber Choir conducted by Kari Turunen, to whom the piece is dedicated.

Le Mouton à Grosses Fesses Vancouver

A 6 voice motet about Saint-Martin of Tours. SSATBB, piano or chimes optional.

Motetus in Laude Sancti Martini

Le retour en force du vinyle influence directement la création de nouvelles musiques, où la grande majorité des références est marquée par l’intégration des vinyles et des platines dans la scène musicale.
Depuis la composition, je perçois le vinyle et son mode de lecture comme des concepts interconnectés dans un système de relations que l’on peut modéliser par des algorithmes, ce qui me permet de transposer cette influence dans la musique instrumentale.

Les variations progressives de la vitesse de lecture, le son de l’aiguille, les boucles et la rugosité sonore sont exploités avec une liberté qui dépasse les possibilités réelles des éléments d’origine.
Sillon en dérives est une œuvre rythmique et intense, où la virtuosité et l’interaction du duo Ziriab ouvrent de nouveaux horizons expressifs.

El revival del vinilo está afectando directamente la creación de nuevas músicas, donde la gran mayoría de las influencias se reflejan en la incorporación de vinilos y reproductores de vinilo en la escena.
Desde la composición musical, comprendo que el vinilo y la forma en que se reproduce constituyen conceptos interconectados dentro de un sistema de relaciones que pueden representarse mediante algoritmos, lo que me permite trasladar esta influencia al ámbito de la música instrumental.

Los cambios graduales en la velocidad de reproducción, el sonido de la aguja, los loops y la rugosidad sonora son explotados con una libertad que va más allá de las posibilidades reales de los elementos originales.
Sillon en dérives es una obra rítmica e intensa, donde la virtuosidad y la interacción del dúo Ziriab abren nuevos horizontes expresivos.

The revival of vinyl is directly influencing the creation of new music, with most references clearly reflected in the incorporation of vinyl records and turntables into the contemporary scene.
From a compositional perspective, I see the vinyl medium and its playback process as interconnected concepts within a system of relationships that can be modeled algorithmically, allowing me to translate that influence into instrumental music.

Gradual changes in playback speed, the sound of the needle, looping, and the texture of the audio are explored with a freedom that goes beyond the real-world limitations of the original components.
Sillon en dérives is a rhythmic and intense work, where the virtuosity and interaction of the duo Ziriab open new expressive horizons.

Lisa Meignin : Flute
Gaspard Schlich : Guitar
Fred Apffel : Record, mix and mastering. 
Downtown Studios, Stasbourg, France, 28/06/25

Britten, The Highland Baloo (A Charm of Lullabies)

Belinda Kunz

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