Works

Instrumentation (detailed)

Electronic / Electroacoustic

Electroacoustics

Performer(s)

In the XVII century, François Couperin composed a small piece for harpsichord denominated Les Barricades Mysterieuses. There was always some speculation concerning this enigmatic title: it could be an insinuation to the women’s Baroque dress code (corsets) or an allusion the harmonic structure of the piece, a quasi-erotic game of cadences articulated with the left/right hand playing that this piece requires. The evocative power of this title also inspired several books and poetry as well as a painting by R. Magritte (1961). Accordingly, the Barricade is mysterious because it prevents us to “move” or to look with clarity, while being invisible at the same time. It is an ambiguous erotic, gallant game, so beloved of the Baroque ethos that was tentatively translated both into the acousmatic instrumentation and into the quasi-contra punctual structure of the present composition. This composition was commissioned by Miso Music Portugal.

Work	Type	Date	Organization/Event	Venue	Town	Country	Performers	Notes	Inv Row
Les Barricades Mysterieuses	Performance	2010/Aug/18	VIII BIMESP 2010 - International Biennial for Electroacoustic Music of São Paulo	Maria de Lourdes Sekeff Theatre	Sao Paulo	Brazil	Studio PANaroma Loudspeaker Orchestra	Notes
Les Barricades Mysterieuses	Performance	2010/Mar/21	XIII International Electroacustic Music Festival "Primavera en La Habana"	Museo de Bellas Artes em Havana	Havana	Cuba		Notes
Les Barricades Mysterieuses	Premiere	2009/Sep/19	Miso Music Portugal - Música Viva Festival 2009	Centro Cultural de Belém - Small Auditorium	Lisbon	Portugal	Loudspeaker Orchestra, António Ferreira (sound projection), Miso Studio (musical development)	Notes

Documents
	Type (+ sub-type)	Cover/edition title Document title	Authors	Referring to	Publisher	Date
	Radio programmes	Arte Eletroacústica: Entrevista com António Fereira	Miguel Azguime	les barricades mysterieuses António Ferreira		2012