Fasten Seat Belts ! Nightmare for Orchestra

Composed in
1997

For
Orchestra

Instrumentation
3/2,EH/2,BCl./2,CBn. – 4/3/3/1 – Timp. 3 Perc. – H – Strings.

Duration
4′

First performance
November 7, 1997 at deSingel in Antwerp (B). Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of Flanders, conductor : Grant LLEWELLYN.

Commissioned by
Royal Flanders Philharmonic (deFilharmonie)

Dedicated to
Helmut Lachenmann

Publisher
Donemus

Luc over Fasten Seat Belts:
This composition was written on commission from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of Flanders. After today’s premiere, the orchestra will take the piece on its tour of Japan at the end of this month. The score is dedicated to my colleague and friend Helmut Lachenmann.

As the title suggests, this (short) piece is “dangerous”, not least for the musicians themselves. That said, this is not programmatic music! The music is generally (very) fast and, as in several of my recent works, based on the principle I refer to as “articulated unison”. This means that a “melody” can be played by more than one instrument, even though the rhythm doesn’t necessarily have to be the same for each.

Since this is the first time I apply this principle in a symphonic orchestral context, I am able to write more than one layer at once. Approximately one third of the instruments are tuned a quarter tone lower, to allow for the “right” notes to be played in faster passages without excessive difficulty. The shifting and playing with quarter tones is therefore quite prominent in certain sections.

Despite the nightmare hinted at in the subtitle, this piece is a (virtuosic) homage to the outstanding musicians of this orchestra, who have already demonstrated — more than once — their ability to interpret contemporary music in general, and my music in particular, in a way that is not only of high artistic quality but also engaging for audiences — for which I am sincerely grateful.

(from the programme booklet of the premiere)