Arrangement for soloist, two equal voices, and instrumental ensemble (flute in C, Bb clarinet, 1 percussionist [glockenspiel, block of wood/mokubio, friction drum (or super ball on tom/timpani, 2 timpani, tam-tam) harp , violin, viola, cello).
Commissioned by the Conservatory of Saint-Michel-sur-Orge (Composer residency, year 2014-2015)
Created in June 2015 at the Marcel Carné Cultural Center - Saint-Michel-sur-Orge
Duration : 2'30. Editions Francois Dhalmann
The adverbial expression, " à la flette" , means too quickly, with little care, and in a related sense, sloppy.
Like any very old popular song, A la volte has several versions.
A circle, danced song, where the bird (a boy) chooses his betrothed among all the girls present.
A moral and cruel song, where for having wanted to emancipate itself " on the fly ", the bird dies leaving only memories and regrets to those who remain " au Printemps_cc781905-5cde-3194-bb3b -136bad5cf58d_” next.
An uplifting song, where his entourage, understanding, forgives him his " faute " by offering to treat him and thus allow him to get married.
I have retained this last meaning (the most common), which - if we disregard a very traditional morality - is an apology for the life drive, solidarity and personal enterprise.
This song is a drama in miniature because the whole range of feelings is represented: from carefree cheerfulness to relief, through fear and tenderness.
Regarding the arrangement, it is very elaborate. I develop a real musical form in miniature in order to underline the changing feelings throughout the work. Thus, the vocal writing is 2 voices plus a soloist. Formally, some verses are treated in the minor mode, reinforcing the tragedy of the text. Each verse is instrumented and harmonized always differently. Inserts of real birdsong punctuate the form as well as false quotations reminiscent of the funeral music of Purcell and the gaiety of Mozart.
With regard to the instrumental formation, this arrangement of À la volte has the advantage of being able to be played, as much with school children as with a conservatory choir. As part of a school project bringing together National Education and the Conservatory, in addition to discovering the heritage of French songs - largely unknown to many school children of foreign origin - it may be their first contact with classical professional musicians (the teachers of the conservatory) playing the instruments of the orchestra.
Finally, the instrumentation being identical to Luciano Berio's Folksongs, they can be played as a preview of this work, during a concert given by the teachers. In an educational context, the harp can be replaced by a piano or a marimba.
