Horaţiu Rădulescu, "Byzantine Prayer"

-- Liner Notes Continued --

BYZANTINE PRAYER Opus 74 (1988) for Giacinto for 40 flutists with 72 flutes

This music was composed in Versailles shortly after the death of our friend, the composer and poet Scelsi, and should be listened to as a REQUIEM. The RITORNELLO LITANICO is alternating with three INTERMUNDI (alpha, beta, gamma).

The 40 flutists are distributed in 8 concentric groups, each of I, 2,3,5,X, 13,5,3 respectively : 1 octobass flute, 1 double bass flute and 1 bass, 3 alto flutes, 5 bass.

8.13 and 5 grand, 3 other alto flutes.

The circular sound movements and the chord eruptions entirely use the spatialisation of the 40 sources disseminated into audience. The ritornello pitches belong to a theorical A-spectrum. Compact spectral zones or ring-modulated spectrum components are explicitated by the 8 flute groups or by the whole mass of 40 flutists, fact that has obliged us to use a notation on two parallel pages which are complimentary and should be read simultaneously. The intermundi evolve within other 6 spectra, and use besides the 8 flutes'groups the dialogues (cori spezzati) of the flute's" outer star", "inner star" and flutes'tutti.

The opus 74 was commissionned 1988 by the Metz Festival where it was premiered by the Orchestre Franqais de FIGtes conducted, as here, by the composer.