In the first decade of the new millennium, just as she was finally receiving attention for her groundbreaking electronic works, Éliane Radigue surprisingly turned to composing for acoustic instruments. These “Occams” are compositions based on the particular resonances of a given instrument, each score growing out of the relationship between performers and their instrument: Rivers (for solo performer), Deltas (for small ensemble), and Oceans (for large ensemble). Occam Delta XV was written for Montréal string quartet Quatuor Bozzini, who have made a name for themselves as the finest interpreters of 20th century and contemporary new and experimental music. The result is like flowing water, seemingly static and yet always changing, the rich timbres of the string quartet generating overtones as sensuous as those of any synthesizer.
