Commissioned by Quasar with the support of SACEM, Interjections has been premiered in Montreal on April 17th 2018.

In Interjections, saxophones and machines form one single “sounding” body, whose organs share temporality, sonority and space, but can also remain autonomous. The title refers to interjection as a short, independent element inserted into musical discourse, or as an instrumental or digital interference that highlights or interrupts the dialogue between instruments and machines.

Interjections is a game and a battle between the saxophonists and their instruments, between the score and the electronics, between the sound phenomenon and time.

The instrumental gestures are inspired by the sonority and temporality of the electronics, and vice versa. 

My compositional process drew on the techniques of computer music, using computer-aided composition (CAC) tools in particular to automate parts of the piece. Like many of my works, this composition begins with a reflection on temporality and sound quality, and a detailed, even “surgical,” exploration of the instrument, working closely with the performer.

Interjections is dedicated to the four members of the Quasar quartet; their support and willingness to experiment during the development stage were crucial to the creation of this piece.