Henri Pousseur

Flutist Roberto Fabbriciani continues his releases dedicated to the flute repertoire of single composers with works by Belgian composer Henri Pousseur (1929-2009). Previous releases on Mode featured Aldo Clementi and Bruno Maderna.

As with Fabbriciani’s preceding Clementi and Maderna releases, this Pousseur release marks the first time Pousseur’s works for flute have been collected in one recording. It is important to note that Fabbriciani had a long working relationship with the composer.

The series of Flexions was composed in 1979 for the performance examinations at the Conservatory in Liège, where Pousseur had been director for three years. It aims to introduce students to the diversity of post-tonal harmonic materials without discarding any contact with tradition and the harmonic qualities of the standard repertoire. Two pieces belong to the category of open or mobile form works. The score of Éclipticare (2001) is a proposal to be elaborated (completed). Fabbriciani has made two different versions, including extended playing techniques prominent in the contemporary flute repertoire but largely unused by Pousseur in his written scores.

Éclipticare builds a kind of bridge to Zeus jouer de flûtes (2006), a score that is co-signed Pousseur-Fabbriciani for good reasons. Pousseur provided the tape (Hymne à Zeus ornothologue, extracted from the eight Études paraboliques, 1972) as well as a “plan of action” indicating the specific time-spans and the choice of instrument to be used according to the tessitura (from bass-flute to piccolo). All the other details remained in Fabbriciani’s hands. This type of collaboration had long been part of Pousseur’s practice and is also the outcome of his firm belief in the social and human importance of sharing.

In addition to the flute repertoire, this release also includes Pousseur’s Scambi for Electronic Tape, composed in 1957 and realized by Pousseur at the Studio di Fonologia in Milan at the invitation of Luciano Berio.

Litanie du miel matinal (for flute)
Éclipticare ou les Périples constellés (version for 3 flutes, version for 3 bass-flutes)
Flexions I (for flute)
Vers l’ile du mont pourpre (for flute)
Litanie du miel vesperal (for bass-flute)
Scambi (for electronic tape)
Zeus joueur de flûtes, Célébrant les dix octannies d’Orphée étoilé (Michel Butor) (for flute, tape and live electronics, with Alvise Vidolin, live electronics)
Litanie du miel vesperal (for flute)

Roberto Fabbriciani, flute