TRACKS

1 – 7   Mer (2012) for piano 
I. C’est le passage d’un bac sur le Mékong
II. Ou rien, ou dormir, mourir 
III. La mer, sans forme, simplement incomparable 
IV. Il essuie le sang, il me lave 
V. Hélène Lagonelle
VI. Nous sommes des amants. Nous ne pouvons pas nous arrêter d’aimer 
VII. Valse de Chopin  

8   afloat (2014) for piano (+ voice) and electronics 

9   ILUMINURAS I. A silent fjord (2016) for piano (+ voice) 

10  A floresta de ossos (2019) for narrator and electronics 

The works that form this album – Mer – share several traces from composer Paulo Guicheney’s poetics. The first of these traces is the influence of literature: Mer was inspired by Marguerite Duras’ L’amant; afloat, by Sylvia Plath’s poem Two Views of a Cadaver Room; and A Floresta de ossos uses a text by the composer himself. Second, the prevalence of a feminine voice, both in its materiality and lyricism. Luciane Cardassi’s voice is the raw material in the electronics of afloat and A Floresta de ossos, and is performed, live, in ILUMINURAS I. We can also highlight the harmonic language built of clusters, periodical rhythmic cycles, glissandi of tempi, and rhythmic ondulations present in the first three tracks; and a distinct contrast between the spoken voice and percussive gestures. Mer resulted from a close collaboration between Paulo Guicheney and Luciane Cardassi. The Canadian-Brazilian pianist commissioned and premiered several works by Guicheney and has actively influenced his writing. Without her playing and her voice, these works would be very different, or would not exist.