« La Voix des Voiles »
« The Sails’ Voice »

To Betho Davezac
Duration : around 4 minutes
1989

Within the context of the Sablé Festival, it was Betho Davezac who originated the project of commissioning five composers on the occasion of the centenary celebrations of the poet Pierre Reverdy’s birth.
Each piece for guitar which resulted from this commission was inspired by a poem chosen within the cycle « la Guitare Endormie » (1919). Their first performance was given by Betho Davezac on 20 August 1989 at Solesmes Abbey, a dear place to the poet.

Here is a translation of a review by Roberto Pinciroli in the April/June 1995 issue of the italian magazine « Il fronimo revista di guitarra » :
« The music in the whole first page and large sections of the piece, made up of chromatic segments to be played pianissimo and quasi parlando : « comme la voix de quelqu’un qui marmonne pour lui-même de façon obsessionnelle » [ like the voice of somebody muttering to himself in an obsessive way ] is a clear reference to Reverdy’s verses (« Et sa voix timide s’adresse au passant désolé qui ne peut pas comprendre ») [ And his shy voice speaks to the sorry passer-by who cannot understand ].
The form is free, characterized and determined by the alternance of two instrumental articulations, one made up of the chromatic segments already mentionned, the other one of large and violent cluster chords.
Numerous are the dynamic colours in rapid succession and the different colour-tones required from the performer. »

Publisher : Max Eschig ; Collection for guitar, Betho Davezac
Distributor : Durand

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