Liebesgedichte

Composer's notes:This is a work of love, innocent and tender child's love, but also of God's and fellow man's love, often conveyed by mankind in a brutal and blind way. I wanted this music to be sensitive and human in the sense of man being aware of his smallness and, hence, of his infinite dimension. In 1968, I composed a melody which has since been constantly present in my mind. I have spontaneously set it in a four-voice harmonisation and divided it into twelve different sequences, each comprising between one and twelve chords. I have attributed a length to each sequence following very precise proportions. I have then given to each chord in the sequence a length which inserts itself into a well-balanced scale of proportionality. The structure of each sequence is completed by its own character, tempo and direction (past, present, future). Thus my melody spreads itself over around 17 minutes (excluding repeats, inserts and bridging additions). The work is based on a four-voice harmony and comprises three quartets: vocal, wood instruments and brass instruments. Each of the twelve sequences displays different tendencies in its orchestration and in its instrumental density. As a composer, I was then merely left with the undertaking of the diverse trends I had organised.Liebesgedichte uses three texts: The Fourth Song form Virgil's Bucolics, the Psalm of David's Spiritual Childhood (Psalm 131), and the text Chant d'amour, which I wrote myself in an invented language. Liebesdedichte is dedicated to Maryvonne Kendergi with affection.- Claude Vivier -