« Monodrame »
for solo violin and orchestra

Duration : 18 minutes

was composed in 1969 in Madrid (Casa de Velazquez).
In this piece, the orchestra is not designed as an accompaniment but as a partner antagonistic to the violin.
Several ideas borrowed from dramatic art are combined to give the shape. All of them deal with the anguish provoked by loneliness [the violin] within masses (the orchestra with 15 wind instruments, 1 harp, percussion (1 xylo, 1 marimba, 1 vibra, 1 glockenspiel, 1 celesta, various drums, metallic items etc.), and 24 string instruments].
The melodic lines of the violin are expressive and lyric. Inspired by the human voice’s inflexions, they are not always cast on a tempered scale.
Therefore the micro-intervals are not used for serial or spectral purposes. This music is essentially intuitive.
In this work the instruments of orchestra have a chamber-music-like treatment. The research on colour, movement or sound block is instrumentation rather than orchestration.
Eventually the soloist will be drowned in the sound stream.
This piece was commissioned by the Department of Relationship with foreign countries of the old ORTF (now Radio-France).
It was recorded in september 1969 with the « Orchestre de Chambre de l’ORTF » conducted by Daniel Chabrun ; Devy Erlih is the violinist.
It was played in a public concert in Reims on april 28, 1970, with the « Orchestre Philarmonique de l’ORTF » (same artists).

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