Mirages
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ReleasesAbout This Project
In his next musical adventure, Mathieu composes a new piece for three solo violins. Inspired by the idea of mirages, optical illusions and visual deceptions, he proposes a musical painting completely open to interpretation by the listener. He channels Impressionistic and minimalist ideas with echoes of Baroque music in this brand new enchanting piece. In 2024,
Mathieu met the wonderful violinist and artist Helena Maria Falk and he was inspired to compose ‘Mirages’ with her playing all three parts on her beautiful 300yo violin. Her attention to detail and her artistry elevated his composition and were a perfect fit to convey the concept of ‘Mirages’. Mathieu also called on talented photographer Julian Bridges for images that he could manipulate to illustrate the cover of this project. – 101075 Records
Musicians: Helena Maria Falk
Photography: Julian Bridges
‘It’s the kind of music that doesn’t command attention, it earns it. Even your more complex harmonic shifts don’t jolt; they glide, like stepping stones across a quiet pond. The melody never strains to be memorable, but it stays with you in the same way scent clings to fabric. This isn’t background music—it’s the kind of presence that changes the air in the room without ever speaking above a hush ‘ – Showland Productions
‘This composition, in its introduction, gives us a lonely and meditative feeling. On a musical level, I liked these sudden timbral emptyings where for a few seconds or a few bars, perhaps, only one instrument manages to create a small solitary brushstroke. I also found these very theatrical pauses that translate into beautiful musical breaths interesting. The melodic interweaving of the strings, when these beautiful pauses do not appear, allows us to enjoy a constant flow of sound. Excellent, excellent track!’ – The Hand Editions
‘At times, the piece unfurls with the delicacy of Debussy’s string quartets; elsewhere, it dances with the meditative, interwoven lines of Steve Reich’s early work. And yet the overall effect is uniquely Karsenti — evocative, bold, and deeply human. Mirages demands and deserves your full attention. It’s a bold, meditative, and beautifully crafted testament to Mathieu Karsenti’s singular voice as a composer. It’s cinematic, film-esque, and downright charming once you really dig in. Obviously, we urge you all to get into it, follow along, and stay tuned for more from this unbelievably talented artist’ – Wewriteaboutmusic
‘Mirages, the central piece of the project, is a fantastic example of inventive composing and arranging. By scoring the piece for three violins, Karsenti is able to create a complete tapestry of sound, covering high, mid and low ranges of the instrument, and through inventive counterpoint creating a singular voice from the trio’ – Doug Thomas review
