Soupirs d'espace

This is a seven-movement work of quite hefty proportions. The work begins with Soupir d'espace, a tranquillo e liberamente 4/4 movement. Immediately each of the three players is at tonal odds with his neighbour, for the third guitar plays a G chord, the second an F chord, and the first player a Bb chord. Then while the Bb is still sounding, No 3 plays an A major chord, No 2, plays a C major, and No 3 a G chord, and so it continues. Finally at bar 9 this chasing-the-tail game ends with the three players begging to differ with a simultaneous E major, G major, and F# major, before new thematic material emerges in the form of a solo line which relies on glissandi for much of its effect, with the three players imitating each other's material. However the block chords return with nothing resolved, as the clashing still continues; a solo line from the third guitar, and the movement is finished. Berceuse Nebulatre follows in a Cantabile 6/8 that by contrast is almost entirely devoid of accidentals with everything rocking gently and peacefully along. Pulsions Galactiques, a Misterioso 6/8 continues almost as the previous movement left off, with rocking harmonics before other elements emerge and the music becomes more astringent. A new Andante e sostenuto idea enters at bar 40 with two guitars playing bare fifths against a semiquaver arpeggio idea on first guitar. This is quite extensively developed for a further 90 odd bars before a passage in harmonics on all instruments closes this section. Vent Solaire is a dolce five in the bar, which begins peacefully before things get busier in the middle and finally dying away towards the end. Supernovae starts with note bending on first guitar against fast moving arpeggio work, and then a time change to 3/8 heralds in a climactic section of quite extensive proportions before the note bends return to uneasily finish the movement. Cadavre Stellaire is a Solenne four in the bar largely consisting of solo notes and is of more modest proportions than many of the other movements. A pause and we are into the final Pulsar De Vie, which has guitar two playing a repetitive rhythmic idea against more note bends from first Guitar and clashing bass notes from guitar three. This scherzando movement gets very frenetic building to a considerable climax before the final bar where each player, whilst beginning on a G, plays with the idea of moving semitonally away in opposite directions before landing on a firm and final G. This is a tonally intriguing work that would keep a moderately advanced trio quite busy for a good while. It is certainly substantial and has plenty of interesting ideas in its rather lengthy duration. Nicely printed and presented, as one would expect from this fine publishing house.
(Chris Dumigan, Classical Guitar Magazine, July 2002)







Sound samples by the Oberon Guitar Trio