Les invisibles is a composition based on vocal and instrumental sounds which create a soundscape corresponding to the text. It was not my intention to illustrate or ‘set’ the text, although I do use speech as a sound source, and the comprehensibility of the text remains secondary. Les invisibles uses recordings of twenty-five short melodic gestures and five longer sequences, as well as a layered four-part vocal polyphony on the text of Es wird später (recorded in the studio by Donatienne Michel-Dansac, soprano; Catherine Bowie, flute; Antoine Ladrette, cello; Jean Geoffroy, percussion). By use of granular synthesis and by the control of special sound parameters (grain size, transposition, delay, speed, spatial position) the recorded melodies and sequences are processed to obtain dense layers of texture.

The compositional structure of the piece is based on the number five. There are five parts, each divided into five subparts. The harmonic material is based on five chords of five notes each.

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Les invisibles was realized in 1996 the studios of Klang Projekte Weimar and first performed in the original 8-channel version on June 2, 1996 during the Inventionen Festival (Berlin). Les invisibles obtained the 1st prize during the 5th Prix international Noroit-Léonce Petitot (Arras, France, 1997).

Premiere

• June 2, 1996, Concert, Berlin (Germany)

Awards

• 1st prize, 5th Noroit-Leonce Petitot International Prize 1997, Arras (Pas-de-Calais, France)