Parcours I, Parcours II (review)

François Giraudon/Michel Aubry: Parcours I, Parcours IICompact disc, undated; available (unconfirmed) from Mnémosyne Musique Média, Place André Malraux, B.P. 39, 18001 Bourges Cedex, France; telephone (+33) 2-48-20-41-87 ; fax (+33) 2-48-20-45-51; electronic mail ime-bourges@gmeb.fr; World Wide Web www.gmeb.fr

This disc is a co-production between "La Box/Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts de Bourges" and the " Institut International de Musique Electroacoustique de Bourges." The presentation of the album booklet is excellent in terms of quality of printing, colors, and type of paper. The actual information given, though, is limited: the album has no title per se, there is no way to determine how any interested party could order a copy of it, no information about tracks nor how the many subtitles given--probably relating to the art work--are illustrated by the music, poor and insufficient notes, not much on the visual artist, and nothing on the composer.

The electroacoustic music, by François Giraudon, is the sonorisation of two installations by artist Michel Aubry. Related to "tessellation" (arranged in a mosaic pattern), this modern mosaic, Parcours I (Itinerary), consists of 7 pentagons made of hard plastic and 21 done on adhesive tape, in both cases adorned with bright, primary colors. It was initially installed at "La Chaufferie" in Strasbourg, France. Parcours II, using 32 pentagons of adhesive tape, was installed at "La Box" in Bourges, France.

For these installations, Mr. Giraudon created a sonic landscape. However, the compact disc cannot convey whatever relationship may have existed between the pentagons, their colors, or visual rhythm, and this electroacoustic music. Generally speaking, this is tapestry music--atmospheric doodling with sounds--perhaps well suited if one is strolling around/on these installations while listening. As concert music, or for musical enjoyment on disc, there is little appeal.

Parcours I (1997), lasting about 11 minutes, may be describing a mood, the colors of the tiles, or textures. The music is naïve, consisting of simple rhythms, some percussive sounds accompanied by low pedal tones, some occasional echoes and slight displacements between tracks, repeats, and feedback. With Parcours II, created a year later, the compositional procedure seems to be very similar. The sounds are different, perhaps even better defined and more appealing to the listener's ears with their watery qualities, but were basically treated with the same technical approach: loops, repeats, feedback, and reverberation.

This ambient music is just for easy listening. Compared with other similar CDs on the market, at 23 minutes the musical content is rather on the short side.

 

Reviewed by alcides lanza
Montreal, Quebec, Canada

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