To Lucie

This piece, similar to Matrechka, the nest of Russian dolls from which the title originates, takes in the form of an unveiling, a journey where reality, of a certain form, gives place to another reality. It uses the theme, dear to surrealists, that art should never be mistaken for the object it represents. Thus, in a painting entitled L’air et la chanson (The Tune and the Song), René Magritte writes under what seems to be: “Ceci n’est pas une pipe” (This is not a pipe).

Thus, waves, breaths, even music originate from elsewhere; they are presented in unnatural forms. From a tumultuous exterior and chaos, we gradually progress towards a helpless and anxious interior. The sound objects progressively adopt new and unheard-of forms, and resemble less and less the real objects from which they arise.

[ii-90]

Matrechka was realized between 1984 and ’86 at the studio of the Université de Montréal and at the composer’s studio from sound material created for six holosculptures of Georges Dyens. The work premiered on May 1, 1986 at the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR). Matrechka was awarded the prize of the French National Federation of Electroacoustic Music, a Mention at the 14th Bourges International Electroacoustic Music Competition (France, 1986) and the Métamorphoses d’Orphée studio prize (Ohain, Belgium) at the 1st Phonurgia Nova International Competition (Arles, France, 1986).

Premiere

• May 1, 1986, Concert, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières (Québec)

Awards

• Métamorphoses d’Orphée Prize, Phonurgia Nova 1986, Arles (Bouches-du-Rhône, France)
• First Mention, Electroacoustic Music Prize, 14th Bourges International Electroacoustic Music Competition 1986, Bourges (Cher, France)
• Prize ex æquo, Fédération nationale de musique électroacoustique (FNME) Prize, 14th Bourges International Electroacoustic Music Competition 1986, Bourges (Cher, France)