StrinDberg. Adapted from the music composed for the play Miss Julie by August Strindberg (Stockholm, Sweden, January 22, 1849 — Stockholm, Sweden, May 14, 1912), staged by Brigitte Haentjens at Espace GO (Montréal) in May 2001.

StrinG. The only sound sources of the piece come from two string instruments, a hurdy-gurdy and a cello. Two instruments representing two eras in the history of instrument factory: the first one belongs to a period where sonorities were rude, closer to the people, and the second one evokes the refinement of the aristocracy.

Actually, the piece is made of two superimposed layers. The first one comes from a single recording of a hurdy-gurdy improvisation about a minute long. Stretched out, filtered, layered, the sound of the hurdy-gurdy, distributed in a multiphonic space, is revealed, layer by layer, throughout the duration of the piece. A second layer, made from the cello, gives the work its rhythm and brings, at the end, a more dramatic quality. It is a deep listening work that penetrates into the sound.

[xii-04]

StrinGDberg was realized in 2001 at the composer’s studio and premiered on June 1, 2001, Salle Olivier Messiaen, Maison de Radio France, (Paris, France). The piece was revised in 2002 and premiered on September 14, 2002 at Espace GO in Montréal. The final version, completely redesigned in 2003 premiered on November 27, 2003, at The Royal Academy of Music in Aarhus (Denmark). StrinGDberg was commissioned by the Groupe de recherches musicales (Ina-GRM), Paris (France). Thanks to Silvy Grenier (hurdy-gurdy) and James Darling (cello).

Premiere

• June 1, 2001, Multiphonies 2000-01: Concert, Salle Olivier Messiaen — Maison de Radio France, Paris (France)
• September 14, 2002, Premiere of the 2002 version: Rien à voir (12): Mise en son; mise en scène, Espace Go, Montréal (Québec)
• November 27, 2003, Premiere of the 2003 version: Concert, The Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus (Denmark)
• June 30, 2022, BEAST FEaST 2022 version: BEAST FEaST 2022: Concert 4: Robert Normandeau, The Dome — Bramall Music Building — University of Birmingham, Birmingham (England, UK)
• July 4, 2026, Timbre 2026 version: Timbre 2026: Concert, Salle Claude-Champagne — Université de Montréal, Montréal (Québec)