Close Your Eyes, See Streaming Sunlight In Composer's Oratorio

Interpreting subtle changes of light into music or conjuring up images of light through music has been the motivation of a Belgian composer and musician these days. Luc Baiwir was relatively unknown a few years ago, but is now regarded in his native country as the "master of the mega-concert" and the "magician of the synthesiz-ers," gaining popularity at out-door festivals for combining theat-rical light shows with his unique electronic music.

His musical style can be classified as ambient music, and his pre-ferred instrument is the synthesizer. Mr. Baiwir premiered his lat-est compilation of works, "Et des Tenebres Naquit la Lumiere," at the Antibes Festival in France last year and the album has since re-ceived enthusiastic praise. The title of the album translates to "And Darkness Creates Light," or "Oratorio of Light," and Mr. Baiwir's aim in his music is to create such an effect.

The oratorio is an extended musical composition with a sacred, usu-ally non-liturgical text. The composition, similar to opera, is usually written for solo vocals, a chorus and an orchestra. Listen-ing to Mr. Baiwir's album, one can just imagine the rays of sun-light streaming through the stained glass windows of the church where the music was recorded as the sounds of the orchestra, flute and synthesizer fill the sacred space.

The pieces in "Et des Tenebres Naquit la Lumiere" were recorded and produced for CD release, and the album is distributed in Korea by iDream Media. With the aid of advanced technology, the CD impec-cably reproduces the church's rich acoustics, enhancing the pieces in a way that the confines of a recording studio would have made impossible. Although the CD resonates with the synthesizer's elec-tronic sounds, Mr. Baiwir's intent was to express his longing for nature, where the mysteries of ancient times are preserved. His inspiration comes from his travels abroad and from his passion for the sea. The musician certainly works his magic with the synthesiz-er. He uses it skillfully as an accompaniment to the flute, and somehow the flute is transformed and sounds more like a human voice than an instrument.

One of the compositions on the album,"Post Tenebras Lux," which means "into the light," has often been used on soundtracks for television shows and commercials in Korea. It is a meditative piece
that features the mezzosoprano vocals of Francoise Vivatour, a string ensemble and of course, the synthesizer. Although the work tries to express the mysteries of nature, it leaves room for indi-vidual interpretation and encourages the listener to conjure up
personal images. "Ave Maria," another piece on the album, fea-tures the magnificent sounds of the pipe organ. Listening to "Ave Maria" and the other works on Luc Baiwir's latest venture is com-forting, and the sounds are really like rays of light penetrating the darkness.

by Inès Cho