Thirvaudey Ludovic
(1980)
Biography
Ludovic Thirvaudey was born in Thonon-les-Bains (France). He studied composition with Éric Gaudibert at the Conservatoire Supérieur in Geneva, and visited postgraduate courses with Michael Jarrell. In 2008, he participated at the composition session Voix Nouvelles of the Fondation Royaumont (France) directed by Brian Ferneyhough, Xavier Dayer and Jérôme Combier. He was chosen to participate at the 2010 edition of the Atelier Opéra en Création of the Académie du Festival d'Aix-en-Provence. Thirvaudey studied bassoon with Catherine Pépin, Roger Birnstingl and Daniele Damiano, and received his master's degree as a soloist in 2005 after studying in the class of Alberto Guerra at the Haute École de Musique in Lausanne.
His works have been commissioned by the Fondation Royaumont, Radio Suisse Romande, Concours International de Violon Sion-Valais, Association des Amis de la Musique and by the Quatuor Byron, the Trio Vernalis, the Trio Eléonore, the Compagnie CH.AU and the city of Thonon. His works "… Ad astra" (piano and orchestra) and "Macte animo…" (violin and orchestra) took part in the finals of the 2006, respectively 2008, edition of the Queen Elisabeth International Grand Prize for Composition in Belgium. His work "L'Abîme des ombres" was performed at the Lucerne Festival in 2010. Thirvaudey stands for a music defined by plasticity and lyricism in the instrumental gesture.
At the present, he is a member of the Orchestre de Chambre of Geneva and plays with the trio Divertimento and the Compagnie CH.AU, an ensemble specialised in contemporary and experimental music. He works regularly together with the Ensemble Contrechamps and teaches musical language at the Conservatoire de Musique in Geneva. Thirvaudey is a founding member of the Ensemble Namascae.
His works have been commissioned by the Fondation Royaumont, Radio Suisse Romande, Concours International de Violon Sion-Valais, Association des Amis de la Musique and by the Quatuor Byron, the Trio Vernalis, the Trio Eléonore, the Compagnie CH.AU and the city of Thonon. His works "… Ad astra" (piano and orchestra) and "Macte animo…" (violin and orchestra) took part in the finals of the 2006, respectively 2008, edition of the Queen Elisabeth International Grand Prize for Composition in Belgium. His work "L'Abîme des ombres" was performed at the Lucerne Festival in 2010. Thirvaudey stands for a music defined by plasticity and lyricism in the instrumental gesture.
At the present, he is a member of the Orchestre de Chambre of Geneva and plays with the trio Divertimento and the Compagnie CH.AU, an ensemble specialised in contemporary and experimental music. He works regularly together with the Ensemble Contrechamps and teaches musical language at the Conservatoire de Musique in Geneva. Thirvaudey is a founding member of the Ensemble Namascae.
Work list
...sic itur... (2004)
for violin
Manuscript
for violin
Manuscript
Ad Astra (2006)
for piano and orchestra
Manuscript
for piano and orchestra
Manuscript
Capriccio II (2009)
for 2 bassoons (recorder, contrabassoon), violin, violoncello and saxophone
Duration: 10' 30"
Manuscript
for 2 bassoons (recorder, contrabassoon), violin, violoncello and saxophone
Duration: 10' 30"
Manuscript
L'Abîme des Ombres (2010)
for two trombones and organ
"My initial intention was to hide the tenor trombone within the organ itself and turn it into a shadow of the bass trombone. Although I had to drop this idea for practical reasons, it is still present in the way I wrote the score.
The trombones leave quasi sound traces behind them, which was only made possible by the very specific acoustics of the room.
The organ's enormous musical range inspired the idea of the abyss. "L'Abîme des Ombres" was composed for the Cavaillé-Coll organ of the Royaumont abbey near Paris.
The piece picks up peculiarities of 19th century symphonic organs: thunderstorm pedal, typical romantic registration, focusing rather on powerful sound than audible structured polyphony."
(L.T.)
Duration: 10' 00"
Manuscript
for two trombones and organ
"My initial intention was to hide the tenor trombone within the organ itself and turn it into a shadow of the bass trombone. Although I had to drop this idea for practical reasons, it is still present in the way I wrote the score.
The trombones leave quasi sound traces behind them, which was only made possible by the very specific acoustics of the room.
The organ's enormous musical range inspired the idea of the abyss. "L'Abîme des Ombres" was composed for the Cavaillé-Coll organ of the Royaumont abbey near Paris.
The piece picks up peculiarities of 19th century symphonic organs: thunderstorm pedal, typical romantic registration, focusing rather on powerful sound than audible structured polyphony."
(L.T.)
Duration: 10' 00"
Manuscript
Gesänge (vor) der Frühe (2010)
for violin, cello and piano
Manuscript
for violin, cello and piano
Manuscript
...des racines, buvant les cieux... (2011)
for string quartet
The title is a quote from a poem out of the Vergers series by Rainer Maria Rilke. By drawing a unique rising trajectory, it is an invitation to enter music in a very special way. This poem appeared at a rather late stage of the composition and, unlike the usual process, the music was not inspired by the poem but the poem describes the music a posteriori.
Vues des Anges, les cimes des arbres peut-être
sont des racines, buvant les cieux;
et dans le sol, les profondes racines d'un hêtre
leur semblent des faîtes silencieux.
Pour eux, la terre, n'est-elle point transparente
en face d'un ciel, plein comme un corps?
Cette terre ardente, où se lamente
auprès des sources l'oubli des morts.
Manuscript
for string quartet
The title is a quote from a poem out of the Vergers series by Rainer Maria Rilke. By drawing a unique rising trajectory, it is an invitation to enter music in a very special way. This poem appeared at a rather late stage of the composition and, unlike the usual process, the music was not inspired by the poem but the poem describes the music a posteriori.
Vues des Anges, les cimes des arbres peut-être
sont des racines, buvant les cieux;
et dans le sol, les profondes racines d'un hêtre
leur semblent des faîtes silencieux.
Pour eux, la terre, n'est-elle point transparente
en face d'un ciel, plein comme un corps?
Cette terre ardente, où se lamente
auprès des sources l'oubli des morts.
Manuscript
Le Jardin des délices (2012)
for ensemble
The three movements are based on a painting by Hieronymus Bosch. It is not so much a musical illustration but a translation of visual sensations and a perception of the gestures in the triptych.
The first movement expresses the ineffable, timeless quietness, although already corrupted (presence of an owl and foreign animals), which is represented in the left panel as the earthly paradise. He also takes reference to the creation to the world on the closed triptych: a globe of still undetermined forms, of dull colours within heavy weighing time. This picture is evoked by an initial strike of the tamtam, while the music begins in this immense sound.
The second movement is based on the circling movements of the centre panel: men on horses riding in a weird and dissolute way around a pond where the desired women are having a bath; bawdy scenes, depending on one's point of view; strange shapes, alcoves of pleasure or retreats for relaxation. The musical material originates in the repertoire of Renaissance music: le "Tourdion", a fast dance, anonymous; "En l'ombre d'un buissonnet" and "Allégez-moi" by Josquin des Prés; the "Chant des oyseaux" by Clément Janequin. The work with melodies extracted from these pieces is freely inspired by the process of Renaissance composition: polyphony, imitations, canons etc., in order to achieve this impression of flight in circles.
The third movement, hell, torture, is the famous panel on the right where wo(man) is tortured to pay for his/her sins. Instrumental groups of three musicians (oboe, harp and keyboard; flute and two clarinets; the three brass instruments) fight, collide and try to redirect everyone to one's own benefit. The first four notes of the Dies Irae traverse the movement as a subtle allusion to another triptych by Bosch "The Last Judgement". A point of rest now follows. Instruments become distressed, the oboe for example (in Bosch's painting a shawm, a double reed instrument of the Renaissance preiod) is reduced in its tone range while the small trumpet becomes stuck in its high notes.
Duration: 15' 00"
Manuscript
for ensemble
The three movements are based on a painting by Hieronymus Bosch. It is not so much a musical illustration but a translation of visual sensations and a perception of the gestures in the triptych.
The first movement expresses the ineffable, timeless quietness, although already corrupted (presence of an owl and foreign animals), which is represented in the left panel as the earthly paradise. He also takes reference to the creation to the world on the closed triptych: a globe of still undetermined forms, of dull colours within heavy weighing time. This picture is evoked by an initial strike of the tamtam, while the music begins in this immense sound.
The second movement is based on the circling movements of the centre panel: men on horses riding in a weird and dissolute way around a pond where the desired women are having a bath; bawdy scenes, depending on one's point of view; strange shapes, alcoves of pleasure or retreats for relaxation. The musical material originates in the repertoire of Renaissance music: le "Tourdion", a fast dance, anonymous; "En l'ombre d'un buissonnet" and "Allégez-moi" by Josquin des Prés; the "Chant des oyseaux" by Clément Janequin. The work with melodies extracted from these pieces is freely inspired by the process of Renaissance composition: polyphony, imitations, canons etc., in order to achieve this impression of flight in circles.
The third movement, hell, torture, is the famous panel on the right where wo(man) is tortured to pay for his/her sins. Instrumental groups of three musicians (oboe, harp and keyboard; flute and two clarinets; the three brass instruments) fight, collide and try to redirect everyone to one's own benefit. The first four notes of the Dies Irae traverse the movement as a subtle allusion to another triptych by Bosch "The Last Judgement". A point of rest now follows. Instruments become distressed, the oboe for example (in Bosch's painting a shawm, a double reed instrument of the Renaissance preiod) is reduced in its tone range while the small trumpet becomes stuck in its high notes.
Duration: 15' 00"
Manuscript
Diskographie
Grammont Sélection 3 - Créations de l'année 2009 en Suisse (Grammont MGB Nr. CTS-M 125, 2010)
ensemble für neue musik zürich
Nouvel Ensemble Contemporain NEC
Schneider, Urs Peter: Dies III (2008)
Mettraux, Laurent: Stèles, M. 670 (2009)
Hoch, Francesco: Trio "Ischia" (2009)
Mariétan, Pierre: Fragments scéniques, Part I (2009)
Furrer-Münch, Franz: Entfalten - verweilen (2009)
Zea, Daniel: Cambuche (2005)
Pelzel, Michael: Piano Operation (2009)
Corrales, Arturo: re (2008)
Moreau, Benoît: Continuums (2009)
Thirvaudey, Ludovic: Capriccio II (2009)
Interpreters:
Aequatuorensemble für neue musik zürich
Nouvel Ensemble Contemporain NEC
Works:
Bolens, Nicolas: Quatuor à cordes n°2 "Tempus Fugit" (2006)Schneider, Urs Peter: Dies III (2008)
Mettraux, Laurent: Stèles, M. 670 (2009)
Hoch, Francesco: Trio "Ischia" (2009)
Mariétan, Pierre: Fragments scéniques, Part I (2009)
Furrer-Münch, Franz: Entfalten - verweilen (2009)
Zea, Daniel: Cambuche (2005)
Pelzel, Michael: Piano Operation (2009)
Corrales, Arturo: re (2008)
Moreau, Benoît: Continuums (2009)
Thirvaudey, Ludovic: Capriccio II (2009)
Info: www.fonoteca.ch
Bibliography
Olshausen, Cécile: Unreine Akustik. Das Projekt "Numen" (Aufführung in der Leonhardskirche Basel, 20. Mai 2013), in: Dissonanz 123 (2013), S. 46-47 [Internet]