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Guillaume Connesson
Athanor - Supernova

Album FR 2006 on Radio France label
Classical (Contemporary)

Athanor I. Melanosis / Passage Au Noir II. Leukosis / Passage Au Blanc III. Iosis / Passage Au Rouge Athanor (the Name given to the alchemist's furnace) is a narrative in three parts that recounts the birth of Gold alongside the Birth of the Child. The choir first announces the unity of the material (En To Pan), after which the Adept and his wife Beatrix pray before the furnace. The choir cries out the hymn of Hermes. In the second part, after an air sung by the Adept, Beatrix anxiously witnesses allegorical representations of the metals undergo punishment in order to be purified. The a cappella choir then announces the the "centre of Elevation" has been attained. In the third part, the birth of Gold and the birth of the Child take place admidst the carnal exaltation of the alchemic couple. When the Great Work appears, the choir brings the piece to close with the following text from Hermes' Emerald Table: "That which is above is like that which is below." IV. Supernova (pour Orchestre, 1997) Two sources inspired this orchestral composition: a painting by Kandinsky entitled Quelques Cercles (Some Circles, 1926), in which solored circles gambol on a plain bluish cosmic background, and the book A Brief History of Time by the English astro-physicist Stephen Hawking made me wish to find the musical resonances to the fascinating world of the infinitely huge. The interior giving insight into the other - led me to recrate in the orchestra the sensations of space and energy that hat impressed me so much in my two models. One of the natural phenomena tha most exited my imagination was the death of a star, marvelously and tragically described. When such a star has consumed itself, it explodes and produces a supernova that is equal to a hundred million suns. Billions of particles are then expelled into space with great energy. The two continuous movements of my Supernova explore in musical language lines of energy that are comparable, i hope, to this cosmic scenario. (see more text in the booklet of the CD....)

Musicians

	Guillaume Connesson , *1970 FR text by, album by
	Nigel Smith dr, perc, baritone vocals
	Chœur de Radio France , FR choir
	Virginie Pesch mezzo-soprano vocals
	Orchestre National de France orchestra

Producers

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