Cyrille Guion, Martine Joste, Li Xie, Guanlan Xu & Léo margue - Wyscnhegradsky, Bancquart, Moëne: Pianos quart de ton (2018) [Hi-Res]

Ivan Wyschnegradsky (1893-1979) is unquestionably an essential figure in 20th-century music. A pioneer in microintervallic music, heir to the thinking of Scriabin, he left a number of works in third, quarter, fifth, sixth and even twelfths of tones. His theoretical, organological and compositional research opened the way for other composers who, in turn, devoted their work to music in micro-intervals, which is probably, as says Alain Bancquart, the music of the future.

The CD includes world premiere recordings of three works representative of three distinct periods in Ivan Wyschnegradskys output: the Méditation sur deux thèmes de La Journée de lExistence (1918) for cello and piano; Ainsi parlait Zarathoustra for 4 pianos tuned in quartertones, a work admired as of its first performance in 1937 by Olivier Messiaen; and the 4th Symphonic Fragment (1956), for 4 pianos and ondes Martenot, written in full mastery of his microtonal language. To these are added two recent works commissioned from Alain Moëne and Alain Bancquart, composers who have always devoted themselves to micro-intervallic writing. In their total diversity and originality, all these works prove to what degree this music can touch us and convince us in its evidence.