“No thing, no self, no form, no pattern is certain; everything is swept up in an invisible metamorphosis, never at rest.”
— Robert Musil
When the violinist Yehudi Menuhin commissioned a piece from Frank Martin, the composer immediately thought of Bach—his concertos, his Passions—but ultimately found inspiration in a six-panel polyptych by Duccio, depicting the final moments of Christ’s life.
It is within this dynamic of influence and divergence that Marianne Piketty and Le Concert Idéal present Frank Martin’s Polyptyque, written for two string quintets and solo violin. This work, both descriptive and introspective, is placed in dialogue with pieces by other composers such as Bach, Vivaldi, Lotti, and Victoria—artists who, across time, space, and ideas, have encountered one another and passed on the flame of inspiration.
— Olivier Fourés
This new program was built around Frank Martin’s Polyptyque. Its beauty and its expressive, narrative power offered a rich space for creativity. As I delved into this work—exploring its material and gradually shaping its interpretation—I sensed a connection between the emotions portrayed by Frank Martin (the futility of fleeting glory, the despair of a lost soul, anguish, the violence of a crowd, dismay and solitude) and the feelings we may experience when faced with the chaos of the modern world.
This sacredly inspired music radiated into everyday life, which in turn nourished it. The architecture of the spectacle was then conceived: weaving together the old and the new, as a way to reveal the continuity of human emotion, and to bring sacred and secular side by side in order to question their boundaries.
The early works were chosen for their musical and narrative resonance. As the listener progresses through the program, these pieces embrace our turmoil and soothe us. The two worlds feed into one another, echoing each other and sketching a possible path—one where beauty prevails, opening the way to serenity and a kind of joy.
Polyptyque offers this mindful, meditative journey toward the light.
— Marianne Piketty