Au coeur de la terre

At the Heart of the Earth is a piece for viola and piano inspired by the all-over painting No. 13A by the abstract expressionist painter Jackson Pollock. On this one-by-three-meter canvas, two elements particularly intrigued me. On the one hand, the reddish-brown hue of the background evoked the color of the earth, and on the other, the aerial spatiality of the white paint threads in the foreground reminded me of the clouds we observe from the surface of our planet. I already imagined a duet with intense and fiery colors that would highlight the ember-like sound of the viola, mixed with a piano whose writing would be similar to that of the marimba. I therefore conceived the piece as a journey to the heart of the Earth.

In the slow, cosmic introduction, the viola plays the seven notes of one of the work's founding motifs. Supported by the gentle ringing of the piano bells, this mysterious breath evokes the Earth's crust. Then, as we traverse this first layer of the planet, this fluid and airy material becomes increasingly concrete in a virtuoso episode for solo viola. It gradually thickens and transforms into a second, more incisive motif based on intense repeated notes thanks to the sonority of the open strings.
The appearance of the distant rumble of the keyboard marks the entry into the mantle of our sphere. Launching the initial motif of the work, the piano becomes increasingly liquid and enveloping while the viola, imperturbable, punctuates the second motif in repeated notes. These two layers thus superimposed seem caught in a hypnotic whirlwind. Magnetic, they are irresistibly attracted by the depths. Like an organic matter constantly renewed, they will undergo a whole series of variations creating new textures each time. Later, like a brief reminiscence, the viola makes the motif of the Earth's crust heard in harmonics on an underground and magmatic carpet. The matter heats up and intensifies. The liquid and burning layers of the piano and the fiery breath of the viola recalling the cadence begin to melt and the layers explode. This song thus unfolded celebrates the beauty of this powerful nature: we are at the heart of the Earth.
Then the two instruments fall silent. In a final, deep, secret breath, the viola sings on the C string, nestled in the bowels of the planet.

This piece is part of a chamber music cycle based on a series of Pollock all-overs.