Well Met Suite (2016)

Premiered at the Festival des Arts de Monaco in 2006

Derived from her earlier pantomime Well Met 04, this suite for twelve strings translates the theatrical atmosphere of a concert rehearsal into a purely musical form. The title Well Met refers to the musicians' search for common ground as they "build" a work together. Jolas selects four movements that distil the humorous and intimate "ways of being" of performers, from individual tuning to collective dialogue, into a sophisticated "old-fashioned" suite. By focusing on the most musically developed sections, she captures the essence of instrumental collaboration without the need for literal stage action.

This new version was premiered on 15 July 2016 at the Rencontres Musicales de Saint-Cézaire by the Calliopée ensemble.

©Betsy Jolas