20th century
Baroque
Classical
Romantic
20th century
21st century
Solo repertoire
Piccolo
Alto flute
Bass flute
Maresz Yan
Aitken, Robert
Amirov, Fikret
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Amram, David
Andriessen, Jurriaan
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Arrieu, Claude
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Circumambulation for solo flute
Circumambulation for solo flute
Yan Maresz: Circumambulation for solo flute was written in 1993. The piece is dedicated to the flutist Emmanuelle Ophèle, a prominent member of the Ensemble Intercontemporain and a frequent collaborator with Maresz. It premiered in October 1993 at the Festival d’Automne in Paris by Emmanuelle Ophèle.
The title refers to the act of walking around a sacred object. In this context, the "object" is the central pitch of the flute, and the music "circles" around it using microtones, multiphonics, and varying air pressures.
Maresz treats the flute as a "polyphonic" instrument rather than a melodic one. The piece features "jet whistles," glissandi, and microtonal trills. It requires a high level of multiphonic control, in which the flutist must sing and play simultaneously or produce multiple pitches with specific fingerings.
In 1993, Maresz was immersed in the "cursus" at IRCAM (Institute for Research and Coordination in Acoustics/Music). This environment shifted his focus toward acoustics and timbre. Circumambulation was his attempt to explore the "inner life" of flute sounds without the use of electronics.
Before 1993, Maresz was a professional jazz guitarist (having studied with John McLaughlin). This background provided the "rhythmic drive" found in the piece, while his new interest in French spectralism (the school of Tristan Murail and Gérard Grisey) provided the harmonic language.
live performance, October 30, 2016 at the Conservatorio “L. D'annunzio” Pescara
Circumambulation
Daniela Mars (flute), 2018, Daniela Mars / CDBaby
Circumambulation
Maresz Yan
Yan Maresz (1966) is a French composer and orchestrator recognized for his unique synthesis of jazz improvisation, American post-serialism, and French spectralism. His work often explores the intersection of acoustic instruments and real-time electronic processing.
Born in Monaco, his initial training was highly diverse: he studied piano, percussion, and jazz guitar. During his youth, he became a professional jazz guitarist. His talent led him to the United States in 1983 to study at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. This "vernacular" background in jazz provided him with a distinctive rhythmic sensibility and an interest in improvisational structures that would later permeate his formal compositions. Then he moved to New York to study composition at The Juilliard School under the direction of David Diamond and Milton Babbitt. From Babbitt, he gained a rigorous understanding of complex structural organization and set theory.
A pivotal moment in his early career was his collaboration with legendary guitarist John McLaughlin. Maresz served as McLaughlin's principal orchestrator and arranger from 1989 to 1994, working on high-profile projects like The Mediterranean concerto.
In 1993, he returned to Europe to study with Edison Denisov and completed the prestigious "Cursus" in composition and computer music at IRCAM (Institute for Research and Coordination in Acoustics/Music) in Paris. This experience shifted his focus toward spectralism—the study of the acoustic properties of sound.
Maresz’s music is noted for its "polyphonic" treatment of monophonic instruments, particularly in solo works like Circumambulation (1993).
His style is characterized by timbral complexity, merging the rhythmic drive of jazz with the harmonic sophistication of the French spectral School, and a sophisticated use of electronics to extend the resonance and physical capabilities of acoustic instruments.