Tristan Murail - Serendib (1991-92) pour grand ensemble

Serendib (1991-92) pour grand ensemble Composer: Tristan Murail (b. 1947) Performers: Ensemble intercontemporain, dir. David Robertson ____________________________________________________ “Serendib (1991-1992) is scored for large ensemble (2 flutes, oboe, 3 clarinets, 2 horns, trumpet, trombone, 3 percussions, harpe, piano, synthesizer, 2 violins, viola, 2 cellos, double bass) at the commission of the Ensemble Intercontemporain with funds provided by the Fondation Total pour la musique. The Ensemble Intercontemporain, conducted by Kent Nagano, gave its first performance at the Auditorium des Halles in Paris on 18th June 1992. The title evokes the mythical name given by Sindbad the Sailor to the Island of Ceylon, which he discovers by pure accident on one of his voyages. This notion of accidental discovery is matched directly by the elusive forms of the music: the piece does indeed appear to discover its own rules, its own continuities as it proceeds, as if haphazardly stumbling up