“Au clair de la lune”, a composition for 4-part vocal ensemble and surround electronics, is greatly valued by the international jury from Free Sounds Organisation, Linux Audio Organisation, Muziekinstituut MultiMedia (MiMM), Utrecht School of the Arts and Open Source Organisation and it has awarded the second price of the “150-Years-of-Music-Technology Composition Competition”.
The winning composition, which is a homage to the first made recording on earth by Édouard-Léon Scott in Paris, is performed during the 3rd International Linux Audio Conference 2010 at 3 May 2010 in Utrecht, the Netherlands.
The international qualified jury reacted laudatory about the quality of the music: “The jury liked the translation of your concept into the very refined sound-material and entire, very competent, composition. In the jury's opinion, your piece, live performed in it's original form, has been very fitting during one of the LAC 2010 Concert Nights...”
This work is inspired by the first recording made in 1860. A ten-second sample of someone singing “Au clair de la lune, Pierrot répondit”, a fragment of an old French folksong, made by the Parisian inventor Edouard-Leon Scott de Martinville on his phonautograph, an apparatus that scratched sound waves on a paper roll blackened with the soot of an oil lamp.
“Au clair de la lune” was technical supported by M-Audio/Avid.
The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and The First Sounds gave permission to use the original sample of “Au clair de la lune” from 1860.
This piece is composed for Vocaal Lab Nederland and is presented during Het Festival Gaudeamus Muziekweek 2008, which had its own premiere in September 2008 at het Muziekgebouw aan `t IJ te Amsterdam, the Netherlands (under the guidance of Romain Bischoff).
The first concert of this work was registered and broadcasted by the Dutch broadcast radio station de Concertzender.
This work was financial supported by het Nederlands Fonds voor Podium Kunsten +.
A greatfull gratitude and a high esteem for all support, effort and confidence.
the composer