Rites

Infos :

Rites is a composition for wind orchestra (symphonic wind orchestra) by Jean Absil. He enriched the original pieces written for harmony orchestras with numerous works. This was also the case for this three-part suite set up in 1952. The parts of the work are:

Salutation of the Dawn (Pour saluer l'aurore) : the first part is a musical description of the awakening of nature with, among other things, an ode to the light.

From the hazy and undefined themes, a hymn grows on the light that has just broken through, while the whole nature awakens. This "theme of the dawn" swells and increases in intensity, finally to burst with full orchestral force.

Speech of the Spirits (Pour conjurer les Esprits) : the second part is characterized by the fact that the evoked spirits arrive and sow panic until the moods finally settle again.

Celebration of the Sun (Pour fêter le Soleil) : the third part describes a grandiose tribute to the sunlight during a violent and rhythmic bacchanals, where the starting themes alternate with this fiery dance.

It is the festival of light. The bacchantic dance is full of color and rhythm and also full of intensity. The theme of the dawn from the first part is now repeated several times, together with the themes of the dance itself. The latter increases in intensity and decides the work on the thunderous tones of the entire orchestra.