Henri Dutilleux ： Au Gre des Ondes – Blackbird

“Blackbird,” a short piece from Dutilleux’s *Au gré des ondes*, condenses modern sonorities and an ingenious sense of movement into a compact span. Its appeal lies in its light, springing rhythms and the changing colors created by shifts of register; rather than treating melody and accompaniment as strictly separate, the performer should bring out the exchange between the voices. The overall flow should remain clear, while small figures are played with definition without becoming hard or percussive. If dynamic changes are kept natural and rests and spaces are treated as part of the music, the piece’s wit and delicate expression become even more distinctive. Pedaling should be used carefully to avoid blurring the sound, preserving transparency of tone and a flexible sense of pulse.