Aperçu partitionNotice
Like the Octet Op.35, which it takes as its starting point, the work integrates elements of writing derived from oriental bowing techniques (Greek lyra from Pontus, Iranian kemanche), and others resulting from an in-depth study of the syntax used by certain bird species such as the reed warbler.
The Eridan is a mythical river of Greek Hades, just like the Styx and the Lèthè, which have given their title to two of my works. But it’s also a river from the land of the Celts, perhaps the Rhône. The meeting of Celtic and Greek cultures, that of Ogmios and Herakles, is an interesting and little-known aspect of our past, which was obscured by the Roman conquest. Éridan embraces this heritage, even if it is essentially imaginary. Celtic wonder, with its abstraction of natural models, and Greek precision in the sense of proportion (symmetria) seemed to me to be perfectly compatible.
Analysis
Éridan incorporates a number of elements from the Op.35 Octet, and the mention of an opus number in the title takes on the same sense of a stage of reflection in my career as a composer. The search for form is more prominent. To evoke a kind of spiral, I’ve linked sequences that can be schematized as follows:
A-B-C-B1-A1-B2+C1-D-C2+B3-A2-B4-C3-D1-E-D2-C4-B5-A3-B6…
The letter A symbolizes writing on the lyra model, B the fan pattern inspired by plant forms, C models of birdsong, D a glissando and E a group of descending strokes. Each occurrence of the same writing type is varied to a much greater extent than for reprises or refrains, and in some cases combined or hybridized with another type. The to-and-fro of each cycle is widened each time by the insertion of a new central element: successively C, D and E enrich the set of variations dominated by B: metaphorically speaking, this is the spiral in question, a universal natural structure that has already inspired many composers and other artists. It has the advantage of integrating the two poles of creation: repetition and variation. The main problem it poses for a musician is its indefinitely prolonged opening: you can only conclude by breaking it.
Instrumentation
String quartetFirst performance
01/17/87 Paris, Radio-France, salle du Ranelagh (Arditti quartett)
Publisher
DurandCommissioned by
Dedicated to
au quatuor ArdittiRecords
Satie Quartet – Ravel, Mache, Fauré
Arditti Quartet – Works for string quartet and percussion trio
