Edgard Varèse: Arcana, performed by the Orchestre National de France, conducted by Pascal Rophé

Pascal Rophé conducts the Orchestre National de France performing "Arcana", work for orchestra composed by Edgard Varèse between 1925 and 1927. Excerpt from the live concert recording on 24 May 2018 at the Radio France Auditorium (Paris).
In 1925, living across the Atlantic, Edgard Varèse came over to Paris to stay on the Île Saint-Louis. On 9 October, he wrote to his wife: "The two Fanfares I dreamed-I was on a boat that was turning around and around-in the middle of the ocean-spinning around in great circles. In the distance I could see a lighthouse, a very high-and on the top an angel-and the angel was you-a trumpet in each hand. Alternating projections of different colors: red, green, yellow, blue-and you were playing Fanfare No.1, trumpet in right hand. Then suddenly the sky became incandescent-blinding-you raised your left hand to your mouth and the Fanfare 2 blared. And the boat kept turning and spinning-and the alternation of projections and incandescence became more frequent-intensified-and the fanfares more nervous-impatient…and then-merde-I woke up. But anyways they will be in Arcana". Varèse composed the two fanfares in question, meant for him and him alone, and immediately destroyed. Yet, their presence is undeniable in the explosive opening of Arcana. The title refers to the mysteries of alchemy. As an epigraph to the score was an excerpt from Paracelsus's Hermetic Astronomy: "Six stars are established. Besides these there is still another star, Imagination, Which gives birth to new stars, And a new heaven."
Through Arcana, Varèse continued his exploration of the realm of dreams, convinced that the birth of art comes not from reason but the unconscious, precious at a time of fervent psychoanalysis and surrealist fantasy. French composer Florent Schmitt understood this aspect completely, describing Arcana following its première as "a magnificently stylised nightmare, a nightmare of giants".
Having finished his studies in electro-acoustic engineering, Varèse moved to America in 1915. There he became interested in sound itself rather than music, no longer working with fixed notes but rather frequencies, timbres, durations and densities, introducing new instruments into the orchestra, such as the string drum in Intégrales and sirens in Ionisation. As for Arcana, the programme for the première explains that the work may be considered "as an large-scale and free interpretation of the passacaille form: the development of an initial idea through melodic, rhythmic and instrumental transmutation".
Within these swarming motifs lies therefore an idea essential to the general cohesion. However, the phrases, harmonic and rhythmic patterns are above all motivated by a powerful and irresistible momentum, leading to powerful chords called "skyscrapers" by Arthur Hoéré, built by gradually adding notes, capable of occupying the entire soundscape, from the lowest frequencies to the highest.
The momentum is occasionally broken, interrupted or simply halted by long silences, but each element seems launched in the same direction, as if subservient to a vectorial force dictating the direction for all objects to follow, no matter their temporal differences or registers. From this is born an irresistible music from start to finish, climaxing in the highest registers over an enigmatic percussion accompaniment. The work is almost reminiscent of the work Amériques, first performed in 1926 in Philadelphia. In his methods of transforming instrumental and orchestral sounds, Varèse was quite possibly the most experimental of composers.
Musical alchemists
More than Faust, it is Dukas's The Sorcerer's Apprentice that first comes to Varèse's mind when asked about alchemy. However, countless composers have dabbled with the science in search of the philosopher's stone or immersed themselves in mysterious tomes: Jean de Garlande in the Middle Ages, or the Pascal Colasse from Versailles. In Mantua, Monteverdi himself fell in love with the dangerous discipline whilst serving the Gonzague family. The composer explained: "I hope to find a je-ne-sais-quoi, to make then a je-ne-sais-quoi, and then, if it pleases God, to explain a je-ne-sais-quoi". Though ultimately unconcerned by this unlikely quest, Monteverdi's son on the other hand would later require the help of his father in getting out of the jails of the Inquisition, imprisoned for the possession of censored books.
Text by François-Gildas Tual
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[@beckr11]

I was a double bassist at the University of Wisconsin Madison in 1986 when I was conducted by the great Catherine Comet with the U.W.-Madison Symphony Orchestra. I was only a Sophomore in college, but I understood the significance of this moment during rehearsals and concerts. A turning point in my life.

[@benaraujomusic]

What fascinates me so much about this piece was that it was written all the way back in 1925, even though it sounds like it was written more recently. Varèse was so ahead of his time.

[@crazyorganist1609]

He was an and he's underrated too

[@noelfrancois3591]

ArcanA /// AmériqueS = ses 2 + belles oeuvres . J'admire beaucoup VARESE, grand créateur du XX°

[@mckinnb311]

Imagine being in the audience at the first performance; also playing at the first rehearsal.

[@marcelvincent164]

le plus grand chef d'œuvre absolu inventeur créateur un génie intemporel

[@radioguy1667]

So this is what Frank Zappa listens to... I like it

[@cartermikovich1369]

Did you read that article too?

[@MixMastaCopyCat]

@Jimmy Jose Getting so tired of these. Hey, spam programmer: offset the comments by at least a day to make it more believable. lol

[@sonicsnap1173]

I am a great admirer of Edgard Varèse, a unique and visionary composer. This magnificent performance takes us on a journey through the deep valleys and steep mountains of this music. Hats off to the composer, the conductor and the orchestra!

[@crazyorganist1609]

An amazing piece of music brilliantly interpreted. The whole spirit of the piece radiates on this interpretation. Boulez would've loved it

[@erlandschneck-holze6931]

... ein Meisterwerk des 2O.Jhdts...! Sehr professionell und packend dargeboten vom Orchestre National de France und dem Fachmann für Modernes/Zeitgenössisches Pascal Rophe...

[@Lucraetio]

Perfecto, el caos organizado. Drama infinito. Masas de sonido lanzándose al abismo sideral. Me fascina!!!!!!!! Me encanta Varèse.

[@carlosgarciasaltillo3765]

absolutamente de acuerdo.

[@pianomanhere]

I don't recall hearing a better performance of this work. This is superb. 👌

[@crazyorganist1609]

It's on par with Boulez's interpretation

[@epiou]

Good music, good performance.

[@notaire2]

Wunderschöne und spannende Aufführung dieses scheinbar willkürlich doch wesentlich perfekt komponierten Meisterwerks mit farbenreichen und klar artikulierten Tönen aller Instrumente. Der intelligente Maestro dirigiert das hoch funktionelle Orchester im gut analysierten Tempo und mit effektiv kontrollierter Dynamik. Bestimmt eine der zehn besten Aufführungen dieses Werks bis heute!

[@marcelvincent164]

Un génie intersidéral, il EST le vrai créateur, en écoutant Varèse on sait que la vie existe ailleurs dans l'univers, Ligeti par la suite l'a confirmé

[@didierschein8515]

Cette oeuvre de Varèse donne l'impression d'une véritable masse sonore mais l'orchestration en est cependant très subtilement dosée, avec un grand soucis de recherche des timbres. La gestuelle de Mr. Rophé traduit très bien la force organique de cette musique. Bravo pour cette très belle interprétation, d'autant plus que l'enregistrement est de grande qualité !

[@marcelvincent164]

Le plus grand

[@brunodebarros5322]

Je dois l’étudier en cours !

[@tutuhuseynova7444]

👏👏👏

[@kiaragwynnespartero2434]

❤❤❤❤

[@eddierukidding4773]

Thats my Eddie

[@earlrobicheaux2632]

The emerging American city landscapes of the 1920's/30's. Does it reflect a positivistic scenario with regard to technology, as the Italian furturist movement, or does it portend through heresy an underlying non-humanism?

[@hypercoree974]

Varèse has experimented first the breakcore style.

[@mr.tawakal]

Sounds like Nobuo Uematsu’s One-Winged Angel was inspired by Arcana.

[@francisbacon-moneygrabber9996]

What type of clarinet is that at 9:50?

[@longlifetometal1995]

contrabass clarinet, it goes an octave lower than the bass clarinet

[@debbeb4499]

This is not music. This is noise.

[@morzhed-hoqh732]

C’est du son ! Du son ! De l’excellent son ! Un son qui te projette dans une autre réalité. Un son qui te montre toute chose sous un angle différent. C’est une approche en profondeur des objets, un voyage au travers de la matière. C’est évidemment de la musique !

[@debbeb4499]

@@morzhed-hoqh732 Car horns, thunder and screaming children are also sounds. If they all occur simultaneously, is it music?

[@morzhed-hoqh732]

@@debbeb4499 Certains utilisent des bruits du quotidien pour illustrer ou pour composer des pièces de musique. On appelle ça de la musique concrète. On ne vous demande pas d’aimer la musique d’Edgar Varèse. Il faut juste comprendre que même si c’est un aspect particulier et même peut-être marginal de la production musicale, ce type de musique a eu une grande influence sur la musique de film. Un commentaire plus haut fait d’ailleurs référence au film « La Planète des Singes ». Varèse a consacré une grande partie de sa vie à produire des sons inouïs. C’est une démarche où le son est considéré comme un matériau. Pour faire une analogie, il est possible de s’émerveiller devant une pierre. Pensez à un marbre, un quartz, un granite… Beaucoup de film doivent leur puissance dramatique à la musique inventée par Varèse (Et par Stravinsky avant lui). De nos jours, Varèse est un classique de la musique savante occidentale.

[@debbeb4499]

@@morzhed-hoqh732 We live in a world in which it becomes increasingly difficult to define things. Not because they have lost the reality of what they are, but because people wish to blur the lines to serve their own purpose. All music is sound but not all sound is music. Things should not be called by what they are not.

[@longlifetometal1995]

@@debbeb4499 Imagine thinking about music unidimensionally