Creux (2018)for clarinet, baritone sax, melodica, accordion, harp, Fender Rhodes, cymbalum, mandolin, electric guitar, cello, bass, percussion, and electronics [10:00] Creux is the French word for the trough of a wave, the downward dip between crests. It can also mean “hollow.” The central image of the piece is a wide shot of the sea, a static plane with minute localized oscillations. Without the swell of crescendi, the action depends on short snippets of modal lines or soft polyrhythmic patterns that coalesce in textures of varying density. A series of interwoven duets, all based on the same microtonal mode, is underscored by metallic harmonies inspired by the blades of the mbira and the Fender Rhodes. Rather than large-scale drama, the focus is on tuning and sonority — prepared and retuned strings, a microtonal melodica, a seamless layer of sound provided by the electronics, composed of samples and field recordings, sometimes interacting dynamically with live instruments, all conspiring to create an atmosphere of directionless meandering, subtle shifts of color on a flat seascape. ————— Creux was commissioned by GMEM-CNCM-Marseille and Ensemble C Barré. It was premiered on May 18, 2018 by Ensemble C Barré plus members of ICE, with Sébastien Boin conducting, at the Festival Les Musiques in Marseille. Electronics were realized at GMEM with the guidance of Charles Bascou.