Gauthier Dupertuis

Dystopia

A trip to India inspired Gauthier Dupertuis to compose this piece for double wind quintet. Dystopia was commissioned by the Swiss conductor Felix Hauswirth on the occasion of the aVENTura festival in Lucerne in September 2023, dedicated to Swiss wind band literature.

In October 2018, Gauthier Dupertuis had the opportunity to accompany the wind orchestra La Landwehr de Fribourg (Switzerland) as an instrumentalist during a concert tour in India. The journey between the different cities was accompanied by the horns of the different vehicles on the road, competing in their creativity. The musicians' bus was no exception to this rule, and Gauthier Dupertuis was eventually inspired by this 5-note motif, which became deeply embedded in his brain through repetition until it served as the musical basis for this work.

Dystopia uses the concept of duality. In two parts (I. Preludio and II. Toccata), the work uses the double wind quintet sometimes as a single unit, sometimes as two or three groups in constant rhythm, harmony or writing contrast. As in a dystopia in which the hero constantly struggles against an oppressive society, the thematic group associated with motive A (the honking introduced at the beginning of the prelude) contrasts with the thematic group associated with motive B throughout the piece. Likewise, the free form of the Prelude contrasts with the clearer structure of the Toccata, in which the atmospheres associated with the two thematic groups alternate. Two brief episodes highlight a third, more arios motif that serves to provide variety and rhythmic reassurance within the toccata.