Le jardin nu

Composer's note:

This project consisted of setting to music, in the original language, a suite of five haiku by the Japanese poetess Chiyo-ni (1703-1775). I wished to carry out this project as the "female side" of a first haiku cycle entitled "Meguru" which was commissioned by the Ars Musica Festival in 2011. "Meguru", to be performed by a baritone voice and ensemble, was based on a suite of haiku by Japanese classical authors (all male).

In this new haiku cycle entitled "The Naked Garden" (translation of "Soen", the Buddhist name for Chiyo-ni), the author's voice is embodied by a mezzo-soprano voice. But the project is intended to be an extension of the experience brought by "Meguru": to transcribe into sound language what these texts of great beauty, true odes to nature, inspire me, using the rich instrumental and vocal resources resulting from the meeting of a solo voice with the ensemble "Het Collectief".