“Everything was basking in oppressive calm.” — Pablo Neruda (1904-1973), Memoirs (Confieso que he vivido: Memorias) (1974)

“I have never found a companion that was so companionable as solitude. We are for the most part more lonely when we go abroad among men than when we stay in our chambers.” — Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862), Walden; or, Life in the Woods (1854)

This piece is about solitude. I was inspired by my own solitude and two literary works: Walden; or, Life in the Woods by Henry David Thoreau and Confieso que he vivido: Memorias by Pablo Neruda. Sauf dans la brume (Except in the Mist) is a musical transposition of various states of solitude feeding on the literary discourse and soundscape evoked by these works.

— Martin Leclerc [English translation: François Couture, x-07]

Sauf dans la brume was realized in 2005 at the composer’s studio and premiered on December 10, 2005 during the Akousma (2) festival produced by Réseaux at Espace GO in Montréal. It was commissioned by Réseaux des arts médiatiques with support from the Canada Council for the Arts (CCA). Sauf dans la brume was awarded the 1st prize ex æquo at the Hugh Le Caine Award of the SOCAN Foundation Awards for Young Composers (Canada, 2006).

Premiere

• December 10, 2005, Akousma (2): Rhapsodie urbaine, Espace Go, Montréal (Québec)

Awards

• 1st prize ex æquo, Hugh Le Caine Awards, SOCAN Foundation Awards for Young Composers 2006, Canada