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Oltra mar, which means 'across the sea' in the ancient French language, is written for large orchestra and mixed choir. This work differs from my other large orchestral pieces (such as Du Cristal, my violin concerto Graal Théâtre, or my orchestral song cycle Château de l’âme) in its sectional structure, being divided into seven clearly separate parts.Parts 1, 3, 5 and 7 are about travelling and about the sea, the origin of life. In these parts the choir sings without words as a part of the orchestral texture. These sea sections take us from one time/place/musical texture to another. Parts 2, 4 and 6 are called (in French) Love, Time and Death. The themes of love and death are connected to my forthcoming opera L'amour de loin, as is the idea of sea, and crossing the sea.The three texts chosen for this work come from different times and places. The text I chose to represent love is written by an Arab poet, Abou Saîd, from the beginning of this millennium. The text for death is an excerpt from a traditional death song of the African pygmies. Finally, the text about time is a sentence from a novel called Samarcande, written by the contemporary French-Lebanese writer Amin Maalouf, who also wrote the libretto for L'amour de loin, the opera I am composing at the moment.The section on death is dedicated to the French composer Gérard Grisey, who suddenly died last November when I was working on this piece.After having found the texts that suited my musical ideas, I rather freely wrote down the music, guided by my thoughts and experiences around these themes. The three texts are very different in their expression, but have one thing in common: they all speak in their way about the sky and the planets, as well as human feelings and ideas.© Kaija Saariaho, 1999(Chester Music Ltd.)Across the sea, the origin of life, humanity travels from one continent to another throughout time, founding and burying cultures and languages, always carrying the two central mysteries of human life: love and death.The title Oltra mar, ‘across the sea’, also points back to the last millennium, to the language and culture of Occitan. The three short texts, which I have chosen from different times and continents, are about love, time and death.© Kaija Saariaho, 1999(Chester Music Ltd.)The texts:I DépartII AmourAvant que fût posé l’arceau du ciel sublime, avant que fût fixé ce globe de cristal, alors que je dormais dans l’éternel néant, le trait de ton amour était tracé sur moi.Abou Saîd, Robâ’isIII VaguesIV TempsLe temps a deux visages, il a deux dimensions,la longueur est au rythme du soleil, l’épaisseur au rythme des passions.Amin Maalouf, SamarcandeV Souvenir de vaguesVI Mortin memory of Gérard GriseyLe ciel s’est éclairé, les yeux se sont éteints, l’étoile resplendit.L’homme a passé, l’ombre a disparu, le prisonnier est libre.Pygmées, Complaintes mortuairesVII Arrivée

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Abbreviation	Instrument
Woodwind
acl	alto clarinet
afl	alto flute
arec	alto recorder
asax	alto saxophone
barsax	baritone saxophone
barhn	baritone horn
bcl	bass clarinet
bfl	bass flute
bob	bass oboe
bsax	bass saxophone
bsn	bassoon
cbsn	contrabassoon
cl	clarinet
ehn	English horn
fl	flute
hn	French horn
ob	oboe
pic	piccolo
rec	recorder
sax	saxophone
srec	soprano recorder
ssax	soprano saxophone
trec	tenor recorder
tsax	tenor saxophone
Brass
ahn	alto horn
atrb	altotrombone
barhn	baritone horn
btrb	bass trombone
cornet	cornet
euph	euphonium
fhn	flugelhorn
hn	French horn
tba	tuuba
thn	tenor horn
trb	trombone
trp	trumpet
Percussion
dr	drums
glock	glockenspiel
mar	marimba
perc	percussion
timp	timpani
vibr	vibraphone
xyl	xylophone
Strings
db	double bass
gamba	viola da gamba
str	strings
vla	viola
vlc	cello
vln	violin
Other
acc	accordion
cel	celesta
cemb	harpsichord
chords	chords
elbas	electric bass
elg	electric guitar
elorg	electric organ
elpno	electric piano
guit	guitar
harm	harmonium
hca	harmonica
hp	harp
instr	instrument
kantele	kantele
keyb	keyboard
live electr	live electronics
mand	mandolin
mel	melody
org	organ
pno	piano
synth	synthesizer
tape	tape
Vocal
alto	alto
baryt	baritone
basso	bass voice
ch	choir
chc	childrens choir
chf	female choir
chm	male choir
chx	mixed choir
cten	countertenor
mezzo	mezzo-soprano
sopr	soprano
speaker	speaker
ten	tenor
voc	vocal

Symphony orchestra
2222 4331 11 1, str = 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 French horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, one other percussionist, harp and strings
Wind band
2252 3 423 21212 3 = 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 5 clarinets, 2 bassoons - 3 saxophones - 4 French horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones - 2 cornets, alto horn, 2 tenor horns, baritone horn, 2 tubas - 3 percussionists
Big band
221 4 4, pno, guit, db, dr = 2 alto saxophones, 2 tenor saxophones, baritone saxophone, 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, piano, guitar, double bass, drums
Additional codes
+	fl+pic = flutist doubles on piccolo
/	pno/org = can be played on either piano or organ
lib	ad libitum
obl	obligato
str	str: 65432 = specified number of string players
str min	str min: 65432 = at least 65432
str max	str max: 65432 = not more than 65432
solo	vln solo = violin is the solo instrument in a work not obviously for solo violin