Quintessences

4 timpani, 2 suspended cymbals, tam-tam, snare drum, bass drum, 3 temple blocks, 4 melodic toms, floor tom, 2 bongos, 2 congas, xylophone, marimba, vibraphone, glockenspiel, crotales. Written in 2020. Percussion section (5 players) of the Liège Royal Philharmonic. Commissioned by the Liège Royal Philharmonic. Unpublished. Duration: 8m.

Each of the four movements of Quintessences uses a different category of instruments: metallophones for 'Au gré des ondes', mallets for 'Tribales', membranophones for 'Solkattu', and tutti for 'Morlocks'. These different timbral polarities generate specific, evocative universes, brought together as a series of journeys in time and space.

Quintessences was commissioned by the Liège Royal Philharmonic, for the commemoration of the sixtieth anniversary of the orchestra. Originally scheduled for October 8, 2020 at the Salle Philharmonique de Liège, the premiere was postponed due to a case of COVID-19 among the musicians. Creation finally happened on November 18, 2023, almost three years later.