Lot n° 310
Estimation :
4000 - 5000
EUR
Maurice OHANA (1913-1992). Autograph music... - Lot 310 - Ader
Maurice OHANA (1913-1992). Autograph music manuscript signed, Office des Oracles, 1974; [2]-41 sheets approx. 56 x 37.5 cm.
Ohana's major choral work, Office des Oracles is written for soloists, choirs and 12 instrumentalists. Commissioned by Jean-Pierre Armengaud for the Fêtes musicales de la Sainte-Baume (bringing together amateur groups with professionals), it was premiered on August 9, 1974 at the Centre culturel de la Sainte-Baume by the Atelier Vocal des Fêtes de la Sainte-Baume, the Ensemble Itinéraire, Jocelyne Taillon (contralto), Claude Meloni (baritone), under the direction of Boris de Vinogradov (principal conductor, and dedicatee of the work), Jean-François Monnot and Jean-Claude Pennetier. [CCP76, p. 398-404]
In the "Notes for the performance" at the beginning of the work, Ohana indicates: "It would be preferable for the performance to be played in a space without separation between the audience and the musicians. The work as a whole should be treated as an "Auto Sacramental" for three choral groups and 14 (or 18) instruments, also divided into three groups of varying composition during the performance. A group of dancer-mimes can be optionally associated as a complement to the musicians and singers. The role of the dancer-mimes will be to give expressive figures through mass, gesture or movement to certain parts of the work but without choreographic commentary in the usual sense. The distribution of voices will be left to the initiative of the principal conductor.
The voices are divided into three groups, in addition to the soloists: a vocal quartet, a mixed choir of 40 to 50 voices, and another mixed choir of 16 to 22 voices. The instrumental ensemble includes 2 flutes, 2 clarinets, trumpet, 2 trombones, 3 percussionists, piano, organ, violin and viola (which can be doubled). The performance of the work requires three conductors.
Lasting approximately 40 to 44 minutes, the work is in twelve parts: I Alpha; II Oniracle; III Three-headed Dragon; IV Minotaur with Mirrors; V Son Changô; VI Meteoracle; VII Tarots; VIII Interrogation of Birds; IX Automatic Writing; x Oroscope; XI Pythia; XII Omega.
The manuscript is carefully written down in Indian ink on large-format tracing paper, with numerous corrections made by scratching. It is signed at the end with the monogram with the date "IV-VII 74", and two calligrams surrounded by the letters OANA: a sun or rosette, and a scarab or bull. On page 24, the title Interrogation des Oiseaux is accompanied by a drawing of two birds. The title page is calligraphied, with the monogram and the date 1974. An introductory leaflet indicates the creation, duration, notes for the performance, nomenclature of voices and instruments, diagram of the arrangement of the groups, explanation of the signs of the score, and summary of the parts.
A set of partly autograph manuscripts of the parts (on tracing, about 36 x 27 cm) is attached: 4 solos (10 ff.), piano (20 ff.), violins-altos gr. 2 (7 ff.), winds and brass (19 ff.), percussion (15 ff). Plus prints on tracing of the first 6 pages of the score.
Discography: Ensemble vocal et instrumental Musicatreize, Chœur contemporain d'Aix-en-Provence, conductor Roland Hayrabedian (Opus 111, 1999).
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