Quatuor Ophelia

The idea came suddenly from out of the blue: it would be either Ondine or Ophelia, but, in any case, there would be a link to water. After re-reading the two stories, I decided on Ophelia, the heroine from Shakespeare, that touching figure of innocence hurt by Hamlet and in some way appeased by death. This is what I wished to express: the pure soul, the heartbreak, and finding salvation in death and the resulting peace that inevitably follows, reminiscent of a bird song. Ergo, the titles of the three movements were set: The Innocence - The Wound - The Death and Resultant Peace I kept a copy of the beautiful poems by the French Swiss writer, Anne Perrier (Le livre d'Ophélie), with me during my work, which served to validate my original sentiments regarding the narrative. Here is her last poem, which is placed ahead of the third movement. Épitaphe Jardins de la douleur Saignez loin de ma tombe Ici tout n’est qu’ombre et splendeur Et gorge de colombe Elle dort Ophélie Au fond des marbres verts De l’or plein les pupilles Et dans son cœur la mer (Anne Perrier) Caroline Charrière, Fribourg (Switzerland), Decembre 2007 The quartet Ophelia was commissioned by the Amar Quartet and received its first performance March 15th, 2006 at Villa Boveri in Baden (Switzerland).