Pascale Criton

Pascale Criton (1954) began her career as a clarinetist, but concentrated quickly on composition. After lessons with Claude Laloum (by whom she also studied ethnomusicology), Michel Puig, Gérard Grisey and Jean-Etienne Marie and courses at the CLFM in Nice and in Darmstadt, she went to study digital synthesis techniques at IRCAM.
From Wyschnegradsky she obtained her fascination with the ideal of the 'continuum sonore' in which all conceivable pitches are present. Since 1982 she is devoted to composing with various microtonal systems, especially for instruments with special tunings, like Julián Carrillo's 1/16-tone piano.

"I wrote La Ritournelle et le Galop as homage to the great French philosopher Gilles Deleuze, who died in 1995. In one of his best publications he developed the concept of the 'ritournelle' (constantly recurring melody) and the 'deterritorialisation'. In my composition 'la ritournelle' - a melodic line consisting of harmonic overtones - et 'le galop' - a powerful and rhythmic instrumental playing - is being guided along the line of deterritorialisation.

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