CHORAL MUSIC
You will find below a selective catalogue of my secular choral works. Please contact me at aurelien.hallopeau[at]gmail.com for any related question.
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Secular works
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Unité SSAA or TTBB a cappella, 2022, [4'15]
Text: "Unité", Les Contemplations by Victor Hugo
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Unité sets a poem by Victor Hugo in which a flower is comparing its petals to the rays of sunshine. Thoughamusing at first, this poem may in reality deals with something bigger, as suggested by the title "Unity"...
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It will not shine again SATB or double-choir a cappella, 2021/2, [3’15]
Text by Emily Brontë
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"It will not shine again;
Its sad course is done;
I have seen the last ray wane
Of the cold, bright sun."
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This short piece sets a rather dark poem by Emily Brontë, dealing with loss and sorrow, using melancholic harmonies and dissonances.
i was premiered by professional vocal ensemble L'Horizon Chimérique, directed by Benoît Dubu, in Temple de la Madeleine, Geneva, as part of the DoublE-ChoiR project.
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Gaudeat iuventus SATB a cappella, 2021, [4’30]
Text: "Letabundus rediit", Carmina Burana
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On a text from the Carmina Burana, this piece describes the return of Spring and the joy that comes with it. "Gaudeat iuventus" literally means "young people should rejoice".
This piece was distinguished in April 2021 by the jury of the Concurso de Composición Coral Carmina Nova as "Best young composer piece" and as "Composition of interest".
This piece was premiered by Coro Joven Cármina Nova, directed by Michele Paccagnella, on April 9th, 2022, in Iglesia de San Agustín de Málaga, Spain, during a concert around the work of Arvo Pärt.
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Rimango sol SSAATTBB or double-choir a cappella, 2021/2, [3’15]
Text: Divina Commedia, Purg. IV: 44-45, Dante Alighieri
"O dolce padre, volgiti, e rimira
com'io rimango sol, se non restai."
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This plaintive piece was written as a tribute to Italian poet Dante, as 2021 was the 700th anniversary of his death. The piece develops around the words of a single sentence from the Divina Commedia, which can be translated by “O my sweet Father! turn thee and behold How I remain alone, unless thou stay”. This sentence is pronounced by Dante as he is ascending the Mountain of Purgatory with Virgil.
Though this text is profane, the piece could be used for the Easter period.
Rimango sol was premiered by professional vocal ensemble L'Horizon Chimérique, directed by Benoît Dubu, in Temple de la Madeleine, Geneva, as part of the DoublE-ChoiR project.
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Petit bestiaire SATB a cappella, 2020, [2’45]
Text: three poems from Le Bestiaire ou le Cortège d'Orphée, Guillaume Apollinaire
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Petit bestiaire is a short piece with some contemporary colors, based on three amusing poems by G. Apollinaire: “La Puce”, “La Carpe” and “L’Ecrevisse”. This piece was awarded the First Prize of the jury of Eufonia-Bordeaux’s Musical Composition Competition for Choir and has been premiered on October 10th, 2021 in Cathédrale Saint-André, Bordeaux, by Eufonia 21, directed by Damien Sardet.
This piece is now published by Edition à Coeur Joie.
A recording is available here.
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Le Lac SATB and optional Piano, 2019/2021, [4’30]
Text: "Le Lac", Aurélien Hallopeau
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A calm piece with peaceful melodies on a poem describing a person contemplating Lake Geneva and a swan taking flight.
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En Arles SATB with divisi and Piano, 2019, [3’00]
Text: "En Arles", Paul-Jean Toulet
Arles is a city located in the South of France, where you can visit a Gallo-Roman necropolis. Paul-Jean Toulet uses this place to write a poem dealing with the opposition between reckless love and the sad reality of death. I was inspired by Toulet's words and I set them to music using contrapuntal melodies and contemplative harmonies.
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