To Arturo Parra

Ellipsis is one of the figures of speech. It is the art of not saying everything, of omitting words, parts of sentences and elements of meaning, and of then allowing the interlocutor, the listener, to fill in the blanks. There are two people in this conversation. First there is Arturo Parra, who commissioned this work in order to produce a mixed version for guitar and tape (which is entitled L’envers du temps). So I composed this piece with him in mind, and left him enough space to move around in.

As the composer of the piece for solo tape I am the other person talking. Knowing how cohesive the acousmatic version is when it is performed in concert, I decided to let the guitarist colour the work not just by providing him with sound elements but by also giving him access to some of the key elements. And in fact the tape that Parra uses today is different from the acousmatic version. The works had the same starting point, but diverged along the way.

— Robert Normandeau [English translation: Tom Carter]

Ellipse was realized between 1997 and ’99 at the composer’s studio and at the Faculté Polytechnique de Mons (Belgium). Thanks to Todor Todoroff. The piece was commissioned by the guitarist Arturo Parra with support from the Canada Council for the Arts (CCA). It was premiered at the Festival international de musique actuelle de Victoriaville (Québec) on May 15, 1998.

Premiere

• May 15, 1998, FIMAV 1998: Parr(A)cousmatique, Cégep de Victoriaville, Victoriaville (Québec)