Dynamique 
Nocturne 
Festif 
 

Connesson composed this Sextet for a New Year concert given on 4 January 1998 at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris and dedicated it to the pianist Eric Le Sage. It is scored for oboe, clarinet, violin, viola, double bass and piano. In a note on the work, Connesson has written that ‘the Sextet is marked by a spirit of entertainment and good humour. The first movement, ‘Dynamique’, is a set of variations which uses processes derived from American minimalist music. The central ‘Nocturne’ expresses thoughts that are both sweet and painful, played by the clarinet over the harmonic carpet of strings and piano. Finally, ‘Festif’ unleashes feverish joy around its motifs, among which we find a nod to Schubert’s Trout Quintet.’ 

© Nigel Simeone