Éliane Radigue – Asymptote Versatile

This performance marks the debut of this work at the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival.

From Soundohm:

“Asymptote Versatile sows the seeds of Radigue’s exploration of long durational forms, bridging a 50-year gap between the school of composers she met in 1960s New York and her 2011-onwards OCCAM OCEAN series, where she composes for individual instrumentalists. Convened by Rhodri Davies, this exceptional ensemble features many of the OCCAM soloists who have worked closely with Radigue, steeped in the aesthetics and methods of her practice: Xavier Charles (clarinet), Angharad Davies (violin), Rhodri Davies (harp), Julia Eckhardt (viola), Bertrand Gauguet (alto saxophone), Susan Geaney (bass flute), Dominic Lash (double bass), Thierry Madiot (bass trombone), Aonghus McEvoy (guitar), Hannah Miller (french horn), Ailbhe Nic Oireachtaigh (viola), and Carol Robinson (bass clarinet).

Radigue herself reflected on the work’s origins: “I was young when I composed the Fibonacci suite. I was in New York at that time… During this period of my life I was very interested in mathematics and for this piece I constructed a logarithmic spiral. It is to do with the infinitesimal; the ever-changing, until its destruction in the dance of constant change. […] In one’s interpretation, it’s important to stay flexible, to avoid rigidity. You can think of the piece as your asymptote … but you are free, it is important to remain free.“”

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