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Chronique d’un génocide annoncé

René Lussier

… a work of admirable sensitivity and intelligence. Rubberneck, UK

Fifty years after the Holocaust, the world has let another genocide occur in Rwanda. Chronique d’un génocide annoncé is a film by Danièle Lacourse and Yvan Patry with music by René Lussier.

The music is lyrical, atmospheric, orchestral, full of textures and sound ambiances. The sounds herein are free, open and moving. René Lussier has composed music that alternately calms and aggravates our feelings of this genocide. A film to be seen, a music to listen to!

CD (AM 058)

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On the web

In the press

Review

Nick Mott, Audion, no. 42, March 1, 2000

Music for the film “Chronicle of a Genocide Foretold” documenting the massacre of a million people in Rwanda by the militia, as you may expect from the subject matter this is a music that is quite dark and sombre with much tension and a sense of drama. The beautiful strings with eerie noises escaping from the background sound, to these ears, like vultures circling the slaughter beneath them. Fire and water permeate proceedings, sometimes venturing towards very pretty melodies in a vivid and picturesque music, There are also human voices, and what sound like pigs squealing. It’s all beautifully arranged and stays mellow throughout, with only occasional outbursts of angular R10 structures. For all its melancholy, and often quite piercing tones, this is a good release which ends with some gorgeous angelic singing voices.

Music for the film “Chronicle of a Genocide Foretold” documenting the massacre of a million people in Rwanda by the militia, as you may expect from the subject matter this is a music that is quite dark and sombre with much tension and a sense of drama. The beautiful strings with eerie noises escaping from the background sound, to these ears, like vultures circling the slaughter beneath them. Fire and water permeate proceedings, sometimes venturing towards very pretty melodies in a vivid and picturesque music, There are also human voices, and what sound like pigs squealing. It’s all beautifully arranged and stays mellow throughout, with only occasional outbursts of angular R10 structures. For all its melancholy, and often quite piercing tones, this is a good release which ends with some gorgeous angelic singing voices.

Critique

Pierre Durr, Revue & Corrigée, no. 37, September 1, 1998

En décidant de réaliser la musique d’un film documentaire sur le Rwanda, René Lussier participe a un devoir de témoignage, un devoir de mémoire. La trame en est bien sûr fournie par le film (disponible en video ou en 16mm). En ce sens, il s’agit ici non pas d’une œuvre d’un guitariste qui chercherait à traduire son sentiment, sa propre émotion face à ce genocide: la guitare, d’ailleurs bien présente, est surtout utilisée à créer des sons/bruits plus ou moins discrets, dans une trame d’ensemble où dominent les cordes, les sonorités étirées et plaintives propres à suggérer l’intensité dramatique et le caractère tragique, voire inique «d’un génocide annoncé». C’est donc davantage l’œuvre d’un compositeur, associe à un reporter sonore qui n’est autre que Claude Schryer, capteur et metteur en scène de sons évocateurs: crépitements de feu, ruissellement d’eau, témoignage de rescapés, quelques chants africains, une cérémonie religieuse…

L’homme de chantiers; René Lussier est la cheville ouvrière de l’improvisation

Serge Truffaut, Le Devoir, May 16, 1998

Mettons que c’est la chronique d’une vie.

Chronique d’un génocide annoncé, c’est la musique d’un documentaire réarrangée pour les besoins comme les exigences du format compact. C’est une guitare, une flûte, un saxo, des clarinettes, des violons, des violoncelles, un trombone et une batterie. C’est une instrumentation riche pour une musique ample.

Chronique d’un génocide annoncé, c’est une musique qui ponctue des propos comme celui-ci: «Ma mère a montré sa carte d’identité. Ils l’ont abattue d’un coup de machette. Elle est tombée avec mon petit frère qu’elle portait sur le dos. Je me suis sauvé. J’ai traversé la plantation d’eucalyptus, puis la bananeraie. Et je me suis caché dans le champ là-bas.»

Review

Chris Blackford, Rubberneck, no. 28, February 1, 1998

Chronicle of A Genocide Foretold,”Fifty vears after the Holocaust,” the sleevenotes declare, “the world allowed another genocide to occur, this time in Rwanda. “ Eyewitnesses (the youngest seven years of age) recall the horrific events. A million people massacred in just three months by Hutu extremists, many hacked to death with machetes.

René Lussier’s soundtrack to Danièle Lacourse’s and Yvan Patry’s documentary is for an eight-piece ensemble (Derome, Tanguay, Arcand, Lepage…), plus atmospheric environmenta1 sounds. Abstract improv and sombre themes are thoughtfully integrated: the former touching the raw nerve of ineradicable trauma. Undoubtedly a difficult commission, but René Lussier’s response is a work of admirable sensitivity and intelligence.

… a work of admirable sensitivity and intelligence.

More texts

  • Noah Wane, Splendid E-Zine, July 13, 1998
  • Ève Méthot, SOCAN, Paroles & Musique, no. 5:1, January 1, 1998