Jean-François Michel

Valeria

And if Valère would be the fourteenth star of the canton of Valais’ armorial?
This poetic image has inspired this music setting: The bell tower of the church of Valère would represent a star illuminating the whole valley of the Rhone river before merging into the vault of heaven and the twinkling of myriad others.
Valeria is set into three movements:
1. Lente illumination (slow illumination)
Soft and blended playing. Following the dynamics, adapt registers.
2. Scintillements (twinklings)
Even softer playing, light and ethereal (4’ or 2’; from letter F return to 8’ very soft; G return to 4’ or 2’)
3. Illuminations célestes (celestial illuminations)
Brilliant reeds. Letter D very soft, E return to the spirit of the beginning of this movement, then adding grandiose registrations.
Jean-François Michel
June 2015, Switzerland

Valeria was composed for the historical organ (built around 1435, considered as the oldest, still playable organ in the world) of the Church of Valère (Sion, Valais, Switzerland).