Metharcana was produced using material intended for a dance production. Starting from the idea that works of this type explore time within a defined space, I became interested in developing a paradox of this interweaving of dance and music — by exploring the use of space within a timeframe defined by the choreographic structure. It is this interaction that I have tried to transpose into this concert piece where two seemingly ill-matched sonic worlds are brought together and treated with the morpho-dynamic analogies that make the relationship viable and suggest a different listening experience — that of a neglected “a-concrete” voice.

— Stephan Dunkelman [English translation: Tom Carter]

Metharcana was realized, with support from the Communauté française de Belgique, at the composer’s studio in 1998 and premiered on November 11, 1998 during the 5th International Acousmatic Festival L’Espace du son in XL Théâtre du Grand Midi (Brussels, Belgium). I would like to thank choreographer Michèle Noiret for giving me the opportunity to work in the dance field and to Emmanuel Favreau, from Ina-GRM, for providing me with the GRM Tools software, a precious musical toolbox. Metharcana was awarded the 1st prize at the Stockholm Electronic Arts Award (Sweden, 1998).

Premiere

• November 18, 1998, L’Espace du son 1998: Concert d’ouverture, XL Théâtre du Grand Midi, Brussels (Belgium)

Awards

• Prize, Stockholm Electronic Arts Award 1998, Stockholm (Sweden)