Connesson, G :: Le Rire De Sarai

This sonata for flute and piano, dedicated to its creator Sarah Louvion (at the Colmar festival in July 2002) is inspired by an episode in the book of Genesis, in which Sarah, the wife of Abraham, conceives and gives birth to a son in her old age. When God had promised her it would happen she had laughed, convinced that this sort of miracle was impossible. Sarah s Laughter is like a parable about doubting faith. To the scriptures s line 'Is there anything difficult for God?', we could also add 'is there anything that love cannot conquer?'. The child was both a miracle from God and a miracle of love: both are essentially the same.

The score s two movements are different in character. The first depicts Sarah throwing her servant Hagar out of her home through jealousy. Faced with Sarah s inability to conceive Abraham had had a son with Hagar. Fearing this rivalry, Sarah drives Hagar out into the desert. Hagar s desperate wandering is expressed through a melancholic, increasingly passionate theme. Hagar prays to God to save her and God hears her prayer. The theme comes back in, but this time is more soothing, with modal harmonies. A divine consolation brings the first part to an end. The second movement is a joyful dance that celebrates the birth of Isaac, the new symbol of the alliance between God and Israel. The polyrhythm of the flute and piano leads the movement into a never-ending whirl. God blesses Isaac and says to Abraham: 'As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be'. The woman who doubted, becomes the woman who loves and believes.