ISBN 9790043087700.
Mirages was my first piano piece for four hands and was commissioned by the Music Festival of Satin-Lizier, whose theme in 2003 - the year the piece was premiered - was "In the style of...". That explains the references to Ravel (Concerto en sol); Dutilleux, (Sonate pour piano) and, in its central part, Ligeti. Like a long singsong, one can follow the tormented wavering of the higher line of the piano in a wandering across peaceful landscapes which progressively get more disturbing as polyphony gains momentum. The musical pattern grows angular, almost choppy, strewn with sharp ridges and rough parts, then progressively bolts before reaching a breaking point. The central part follows the same pattern: it opens in a foggy atmosphere (recalling Ligeti's clouds) and seems to bring to completion the process it has initiated. The piece ends in a peaceful eternity. I wish to thank Florence et Isabelle Lafitte, Lorene de Taruld and Johan Farjot for their kind suggestions. --Karol Beffa.
