Aks is a work with rather particular origins. Commissioned by the Society of Friends of the Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions for the fiftieth anniversary of the museum, I composed this score for mezzo voice and 7 instruments (flute, clarinet, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones and cello) on musical material provided by the ethnomusicological department of the A.T.P.

Except for the first measures of the cello, no song is however quoted “in extenso”. The observation and the intensive manipulation of the modal and rhythmic structures of the chosen popular songs impregnate the whole work without ever yielding to any “folklorism” which would have altered these astonishing musics of French oral traditions and my own work. All the harmony and melodic conduct are built on autonomous processes whose origin always comes from the “memory” of this beautiful museum.

I add that the musical attitude adopted for the construction of this score is a perfectly arbitrary act. It is therefore not necessary to look for a coherence with social or historical will or even any musical “demonstration”. I hope that ethnomusicologists will not hold a grudge against me for having played with this rich musical soil. I must admit, however, that I had great pleasure in doing so, which is _in itself_ a good reason…

The text, in Occitan (and related to the melody quoted on the cello), speaks to us of the herdsman who ploughs, of rave, of small cabbage, of thin lark, of the depths of the cellar and of the pilgrims who will pass, of poor Bernarde, who went straight up there with the goats, amen, amen…

I thank the Society of the Friends of the Museum of the A.T.P for having honored me with this commission, Mr. Jean Cuisenier, director of the museum, and the music department, in particular Miss Maguy P. Andral and Mr. Jacques Cheyronnaud who so kindly entrusted me with their archives, as well as the complicit enthusiasm of Marie Chantal de Tricornot
Aks is dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the Musée National des Arts et Traditions Populaires and to my son Louis’ third year…

Pascal Dusapin

Lo Bouvé