Départ

Départ (Departure), a piece that evokes Impressionist painting, tells a story in three movements set in a seascape.

Each movement depicts one stage of the story. The first asserts the need to leave everyday life behind in order to come face to face with oneself. The departure is inevitable, and the second movement follows without a break. As the coast recedes, calm sets in, and the play of the waves is contemplated in a boundless expanse. In the third movement, out at sea, new feelings take hold: pain and anger. A sudden lull brings relief. The piece ends with a restatement of the opening melodic line, which now takes on another meaning: that of a serene rebirth.