Elliott Carter

Esprit rude / Esprit doux I

Esprit Rude/Esprit Doux for flute and clarinet was composed for the celebration of Pierre Boulez's 60th birthday on March 31, 1985 in Baden-Baden. The title, translated as rough breathing/smooth breathing, refers to the pronunciation of classical Greek words beginning with a vowel or an 'R'. With 'Esprit Rude' (rough breathing) the initial vowel (or R) is to be preceded by a sounded H, and is indicated by a reversed comma above the letter. With Esprit Doux (smooth breathing) the initial vowel is not to be preceded by H and is indicated by a comma above the vowel. In the Greek for sixtieth year (transliterated as hexèkoston etos) the initial epsilon of the first word has a rough breathing sign while the epsilon of the second has a smooth one.