Vortex Temporum

For this concert at Arsonic in Mons, Ensemble Fractales collaborates with the composition students of Arts² under Geoffrey François. The program centers on Gérard Grisey’s Vortex Temporum, a landmark of spectral music that explores extreme temporalities — from the slow, expansive gestures of whales to the rapid movements of insects and the measured pulse of human life. Time stretches, contracts, and folds, creating a listening experience that is both immersive and deeply physical.

Alongside Grisey, we present a new work by Catherine Baude, composed specifically for the instrumentation and piano tuning of Vortex Temporum. This piece continues the exploration of resonance, color, and gesture, and responds directly to the sound world Grisey created, inviting listeners to experience familiar textures in a new light.