Strange dreams (2021)

for clarinet, alto saxophone, harp, accordion, mandolin, and guitar

Strange Dreams was composed for Ensemble C Barré as part of the Composers Lab at the 2021 reMusik.org festival. The work was premiered on May 31, 2021, in Saint Petersburg, Russia, conducted by Sébastien Boin.

Duration: 5’20”

Program notes
This piece explores the transition between wakefulness and sleep. I sought to recreate the fleeting thoughts and images that emerge during this moment—irrational, chaotic, and impossible to grasp completely. The rhythmic structure is inspired by the phenomenon of myoclonus: the involuntary muscle twitch that often occurs while falling asleep. This recurring gesture forms an ostinato background for brief instrumental phrases whose improvisatory character reflects the unpredictability of this liminal state of consciousness.