Physichromie n° 209

About

Physichromie n° 209 for solo clarinet was written in 2018 after the eponymous work by the Franco-Venezuelan artist Carlos Cruz-Diez (1923-2019). This artwork, created in 1965 in acetate, acrylic, and latex on plywood and wood, belongs to the collection of SFMOMA (San Francisco Museum of Modern Art), where I was allowed to observe it during its restoration process. This physichromie (“physical colors”) served as a source of inspiration to write a composition where several layers of meaning are juxtaposed, while proposing an idea of translucent light reflecting on different parts of the musical work. The vivid colors are translated by high-pitched sounds played forte, providing contrast to the continuity of the phrases. The composition is built around certain pivot notes, present throughout the piece, as well as arpeggiated chords.