On the Liberation upon Hearing in the Intermediate State

ABSTRACT

‘On the Liberation upon Hearing in the Intermediate State’ is a highly subjective reconstruction of a concert that Éliane Radigue gave in June 2011, when her composition Kyema was played at St. Stephen Wallbrook church in London. This text, written years after the event, is a phenomenological account with which the writer sought to re-live, re-create and conjure up the sound and atmosphere of the performance, taking into consideration the architectural history and acoustics of the venue as well as her emotional resonances with the musical piece. Kyema is the first chapter of Radigue’s Trilogie de la mort (1988–1993), considered by many as her masterpiece. The trilogy was inspired by the Tibetan Book of the Dead, or Bardo Thodol, which describes and guides consciousness through the six stages in the journey between death and rebirth.

KEYWORDS:

• Phenomenological writing
• Éliane Radigue
• Kyema
• Trilogie de la mort
• Tibetan Book of the Dead (Bardo Thodol)

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lorena Muñoz-Alonso

Lorena Muñoz-Alonso is a writer, art critic and psychoanalytic psychotherapy trainee based in London.