A warm summer evening floating under a crescent moon. Years of searching, wandering and questioning suddenly come to a halt in the breathlessness of the present moment where gravity is suspended.

Now.

To express this, Les ailes de l’augure entwines themes of realism, fantasy and surrealism from different spatial perspectives that are often aviary in nature and vary depending on the type of species and their habitats yet which are perceived through, and adapted to, the human senses.

For example, the beginning of the work attempts to convey the spatial topography of a distant landscape as perceived by a lone eagle in flight whereas the spatial perspectives in subsequent sections are varied and superimposed, reflecting the spatial behavior of different types — and sizes — of birds as perceived simultaneously.

Initial sound material for the work was recorded in Belgian forests, at the Zwin nature reserve at the North Sea coast as well as indoors.

The title is inspired by the French surrealist essayist, poet and writer, André Breton.

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Les ailes de l’augure was realized in 2020-21 at the Métamorphoses d’Orphée studio of Musiques & Recherches in Ohain (Belgium) and in the composer’s studio in Brussels (Belgium) and premiered on October 24, 2021 as part of the festival L’Espace du son at Théâtre Marni in Brussels. The piece was commissioned by Musiques & Recherches. Les ailes de l’augure was composed with support from the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles (Administration générale de la culture, Service de la musique). Thanks to Bonnie Sher, the Takats family, and Annette Vande Gorne for their assistance.

Premiere

• October 24, 2021, L’Espace du son 2021: Concert portrait: Elizabeth Anderson, Théâtre Marni, Brussels (Belgium)