Duo les Îles

This two-movement work for violin and cello embodies an imaginary voyage by boat between these two marine pearls: Ouessant and Belle-Île; from Belle-Île l’atlantique, the serene despite its geography, to Ouessant, the granitic austerity of the sea.
The first movement is a virtually uninterrupted song, moving from a French-style opening to a slow chorale, in which the systematic use of double strings gives the impression of a string quartet.
The second movement, with its strict form, violent accents and chanted rhythms, represents the impression of the end of the world that we often feel when we arrive at this “Pen ar bed” (end of the earth in Breton).
Lasting around a quarter of an hour, this piece fits in with my current personal problematic of the imaginary journey, a possible prelude or pretext for creation.

Benoît Menut