Esprit Rude/Esprit Doux II for flute, clarinet, and marimba

Year
1994
Duration
5'
Category
Chamber

Dedication: pour Pierre Boulez en célébration de son soixante-dixième anniversaire avec profonde admiration et amitié affectueuse (for Pierre Boulez in celebration of his seventieth birthday with deep admiration and affectionate friendship)
Buy Score: Hendon Music (Boosey & Hawkes)
Manuscripts: Paul Sacher Stiftung

Premiere: Mar 30, 1995/ Richarde Gref, flute / John Bruce Yeh, clarinet / James Ross, marimba/ Orchestra Hall, Chicago, IL

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Hommage à Elliott Carter - Ensemble Intercontemporain

January 15, 2018

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Esprit rude Esprit doux II clip

Esprit rude/Esprit doux II was composed for the celebration of Pierre Boulez’s 70th birthday on March 30, 1995, in Chicago. The title, translated as “rough breathing/smooth breathing,” refers to the pronunciation of classical Greek words beginning with a vowel or a ρ. With esprit rude (rough breathing), the initial vowel is to be preceded by a sounded H, and is indicated by a reversed comma above the letter. With esprit doux (smooth breathing), the initial vowel is not to be preceded by H and is indicated by a comma above the vowel. In Greek for seventieth year (transliterated as hebdomekoston etos), the initial epsilon of the first word has a rough breathing sigh while the epsilon of the second has a smooth one.

– Elliott Carter

Recordings (3)

Rough Wind/Smooth Wind
Albany TROY 1742 (2018)
Leonard Garrison, flute | Shannon Scott, clarinet | Stuart Gerber, marimba
Nieuw Ensemble: Homages & Dedications
Auvidis Montaigne MO 782089 (2003)
Nieuw Ensemble, Ed Spanjaard, conductor | Hans Wesseling, mandolin | Helenus de Rijke, guitar | Ernestine Stoop, harp | Herman Halewijn, vibraphone | Ad Welleman, trumpet (+19)
Nouvel Ensemble Moderne plays Elliott Carter
ATMA Classique (2002)
Caroline Lizotte, clarinet | Nouvel Ensemble Moderne | Lorraine Vaillancourt, conductor