This work explores sampling, dispersal, fragmentation, extraction, and distillation. This is the “angels’ share,” the volatile part of aging alcohol that slowly evaporates through the walls of the barrel.

Here, the material that evaporates are a capella songs from different cultures and different historical periods. These songs that cross the ages and come from everywhere where the musical traditions are very old. I tried to keep their timbre while extracting only the volatile part of their essence.

[ix-18]

La part des anges [The Angels’ Share] was realized in 2011 in the studios of the Zentrum für Kunst und Medientechnologie Karlsruhe (ZKM, Germany), and at the Faculty of Music of the Université de Montréal (Québec) and premiered on November 26, 2011 during the festival Imatronic 2011 in Karlsruhe (Germany). The piece reworked in 2012 in the same studios premiered on November 29, 2012 at the Festival Trans_Canada Reloaded in Karlsruhe (Germany). The piece was completely redesigned in 2018 at the Université de Montréal and premiered on May 4, 2018 during the Substrat #1 concert in the Satosphère of the Société des arts technologiques (SAT) in Montréal. The residence at the ZKM followed the Giga-Hertz-Preis in 2010. La part des anges was specially composed for a dome of loudspeakers. Thanks to Ludger Brümmer and Götz Dipper. The work was awarded an Honorable Mention in the Musica Nova 2012 International Competition of Electroacoustic Music (Prague, Czech Republic).

Premiere

• November 26, 2011, Imatronic 2011: Preisverleihungen und Konzerte, ZKM_Kubus, Karlsruhe (Baden-Württemberg, Germany)
• November 29, 2012, Premiere of the 2012 version: Imatronic Extended 2012: Sounds − GRM Akusmonium und der Klangdom: trans_canada reloaded II, ZKM_Kubus, Karlsruhe (Baden-Württemberg, Germany)
• May 4, 2018, Premiere of the 2018 version: Substrat #1 — Akousma, Satosphère — Société des arts technologiques, Montréal (Québec)

Awards

• Honorable Mention, Category A (fixed medium), Musica Nova 2012, Prague (Czech Republic)