(SW 1074)

Chamber music with unusual instrumental combinations is undoubtedly one of Christian Ridil’s specialties, as his catalog of works clearly demonstrates. The piece presented here, composed in 2024, immediately stands out due to its distinctive instrumentation. The title of this nearly 15-minute work reflects both the composer’s affinity for French stylistic elements and the fact that the percussion part—juxtaposed with the bassoon and featuring a complex setup of three different mallet instruments along with a set of timpani—is performed by a single player. This musician must switch between vibraphone, xylophone, marimba, and timpani throughout the piece.

The three movements are predominantly dance-like but do not carry programmatic titles. Irregular Bulgarian rhythmic structures dominate both the opening and the slow middle movement, while the lively triple meter of the final movement resembles a gigue.

In terms of compositional technique, the outer movements feature an equal, polyphonic interplay between the bassoon and the respective mallet instruments. In contrast, the slow movement sees the bassoon accompanied by the vibraphone in a manner reminiscent of a basso continuo. Many elements evoke Baroque forms, particularly the suite, though these references are deliberately counteracted by both the instrumentation and the modern harmonic language.

Martin Schmeck

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