Mer by Luciane Cardassi / Paulo Guicheney

Performer: Luciane Cardassi

Composer: Paulo Guicheney

The works that form this album – Mer – share several traces from composer Paulo Guicheney’s poetics. The first of these traces is the influence of literature: Mer was inspired by Marguerite Duras’ L’amant; afloat, by Sylvia Plath’s poem Two Views of a Cadaver Room; and A Floresta de ossos uses a text by the composer himself. Second, the prevalence of a feminine voice, both in its materiality and lyricism. Luciane Cardassi’s voice is the raw material in the electronics of afloat and A Floresta de ossos, and is performed, live, in ILUMINURAS I. We can also highlight the harmonic language built of clusters, periodical rhythmic cycles, glissandi of tempi, and rhythmic ondulations present in the first three tracks; and a distinct contrast between the spoken voice and percussive gestures. Mer resulted from a close collaboration between Paulo Guicheney and Luciane Cardassi. The Canadian-Brazilian pianist commissioned and premiered several works by Guicheney and has actively influenced his writing. Without her playing and her voice, these works would be very different, or would not exist.

Tracklist

1.	Mer - I. C'est le passage d'un bac sur le Mékong	1:08

2.	Mer - II. Ou rien, ou dormir, mourir	1:22

3.	Mer - III. La mer, sans forme, simplement incomparable	0:55

4.	Mer - IV. Il essuie le sang, il me lave	1:01

5.	Mer - V. Hélène Lagonelle	0:21

6.	Mer - VI. Nous sommes des amants. Nous ne pouvons pas nous arrêter d'aimer	1:42

7.	Mer - VII. Valse de Chopin	2:02

8.	afloat (2014) for piano (+ voice) and electronics	10:16

9.	ILUMINURAS I. A silent fjord (2016) for piano (+ voice)	8:27

10.	A floresta de ossos (2019) for narrator and electronics	7:29

Credits

released October 30, 2020

Producer: Luciane Cardassi
Recording producer, mixing and mastering engineer: Amandine Pras
Recorded at the Rolston Recital Hall, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, in November 2017
Studio assistants: Fox Schwach, David Wilkinson and Matthew Manifould
Audio and Music Technician: Henry Ng
Coordinator of the Audio Recording Engineer Practicum: James Clemens-Seely
Piano Technician: Albert Picknell
Studio Assistants (track 10): Leonard Menon and Laura Ferguson
Graphic design: Rosana Almendares
Cover Photograph: Mãe (Mother) by Paulo Guicheney

redshiftrecords.org/releases/tk482/

License