Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
National Youth Orchestra of Catalonia conducted by Manel Valdivieso (No.1), Zaragoza Auditorium Chamber Orchestra conducted by Juan Jose Olives (No.2), Barcelona Symphony Orchestra and National Orchestra of Catalonia conducted by Pablo González (Nos.3 & 4).
I - Sol de primavera: 0:00
II - Vent transparent: 11:16
III - Blancor de neu: 23:57
IV - Núvols brillants: 36:13
Humet's "Music of Non-being" (Música del no Ésser) was composed between 2008-10, each movement being commissioned by different groups; the first by the Caixa de Catalunya Foundation, the second by the National Auditorium of Music, and the third and fourth by the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra and National Orchestra of Catalonia. It was premiered at the Auditorium of Barcelona on September 24 of 2010, performed by the aforementioned orchestra conducted by Pablo González.
The title of each movement, as well as the piece itself, comes from a poem written shortly before death by Japanese monk Daido Ichi'i: "The music of non-being / Filling the void: / Spring sun / Snow whiteness / Bright clouds / Transparent wind." Each movement was composed as an independent work, and Humet later assembled these pieces into a four-movement composition, something similar as what Elliott Carter's did with his Symphonia. As with most of Humet’s music, the work exudes an intense love of nature, as well as the influence of Japanese philosophy and musical tradition.
Each movement seems to reflect on existentialism, on death as enlightenment and evolve in a continuum that arises from an unconscious energy, from which an origin and an extinction are emulated, exposed as a Schopenhauerian vital flow from generating motifs. The harmonic treatment approaches spectralism, the timbre work refers specifically to Strauss and Mahler. Humet tends to propose an organically developed scenic concept in which there are many autonomous elements that interact with a writing full of effects of an aesthetic that we can link to Messiaen, Ligeti, Takemitsu or Adams.
The first movement, Sol de primavera (Spring Sun), begins with ostinato figures on wood and percussion, which move onto the brass in a contrapuntal fashion. The music then reaches an intense cluster-like climax. Woodwind then introduce more melodic phrases and ideas, offering some contrast. A more rarefied passage features string glissandi and fast wood figures, leading to another climax. An alternating dynamic of static passages and fast-building crescendos, all colourfully scored, is soon established. The opening rhythmic motives peek through the texture on certain instruments. Woodwind also seem to imitate birdsongs at certain times. An imposing march comes and goes, followed by a more lyrical response on strings. The movement ends with a slow and evocative coda
The second movement, Vent transparent (Transparent Wind), opens with string pedal notes, alternating between slow and fast glissandi. Brief orchestral tuttis serve to add brief splashes of colour. As in the first movement, ostinato figures are introduced and serve as the basis for most of the music. The texture becomes denser in the central part, before becoming thinner and more transparent. At the same time, the music becomes more lyrical and consonant, with melodic phrases on woodwinds. Orchestration thickens in a more dissonant passage before the movement ends with a static diminuendo coda.
The third movement, Blancor de neu (Snow Whiteness), begins with an ominous cluster chord followed by melodic phrases on woodwinds over strings and percussion. This cluster then returns and leads to an uncanny and dissonant passage, highly unstable harmonically. This is contrasted by a more consonant and melodic section, while still remaining unstable. Sharp dissonances lead to a climax, followed a richly scored lyrical passage dominated by strings. Then there is a reminiscence of the previous dissonant material, now softer and more consonant, before the movement ends with string glissandi and a meditative coda.
The fourth movement, Núvols brillants (Bright clouds), opens with brass figures answered by strings, creating a brilliant texture. As with the first movement, these motives and elements are the core of "Núvols brillants". The music become more intense and the scoring denser, leading to a climax. A more melodic and static passage offers dynamic contrast, before the music grows in a swelling and radiant climax, which extends until near the end. A violin is briefly left alone before the piece ends with diminuendo strings in an enigmatic fashion.
Picture: Photograph of the Temple of the Golden Pavillion (Kinkaku-ji) during snowfall, taken on February 9 of 2020.
Musical analysis written by myself.
Unfortunately, the score isn't freely available.
National Youth Orchestra of Catalonia conducted by Manel Valdivieso (No.1), Zaragoza Auditorium Chamber Orchestra conducted by Juan Jose Olives (No.2), Barcelona Symphony Orchestra and National Orchestra of Catalonia conducted by Pablo González (Nos.3 & 4).
I - Sol de primavera: 0:00
II - Vent transparent: 11:16
III - Blancor de neu: 23:57
IV - Núvols brillants: 36:13
Humet's "Music of Non-being" (Música del no Ésser) was composed between 2008-10, each movement being commissioned by different groups; the first by the Caixa de Catalunya Foundation, the second by the National Auditorium of Music, and the third and fourth by the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra and National Orchestra of Catalonia. It was premiered at the Auditorium of Barcelona on September 24 of 2010, performed by the aforementioned orchestra conducted by Pablo González.
The title of each movement, as well as the piece itself, comes from a poem written shortly before death by Japanese monk Daido Ichi'i: "The music of non-being / Filling the void: / Spring sun / Snow whiteness / Bright clouds / Transparent wind." Each movement was composed as an independent work, and Humet later assembled these pieces into a four-movement composition, something similar as what Elliott Carter's did with his Symphonia. As with most of Humet’s music, the work exudes an intense love of nature, as well as the influence of Japanese philosophy and musical tradition.
Each movement seems to reflect on existentialism, on death as enlightenment and evolve in a continuum that arises from an unconscious energy, from which an origin and an extinction are emulated, exposed as a Schopenhauerian vital flow from generating motifs. The harmonic treatment approaches spectralism, the timbre work refers specifically to Strauss and Mahler. Humet tends to propose an organically developed scenic concept in which there are many autonomous elements that interact with a writing full of effects of an aesthetic that we can link to Messiaen, Ligeti, Takemitsu or Adams.
The first movement, Sol de primavera (Spring Sun), begins with ostinato figures on wood and percussion, which move onto the brass in a contrapuntal fashion. The music then reaches an intense cluster-like climax. Woodwind then introduce more melodic phrases and ideas, offering some contrast. A more rarefied passage features string glissandi and fast wood figures, leading to another climax. An alternating dynamic of static passages and fast-building crescendos, all colourfully scored, is soon established. The opening rhythmic motives peek through the texture on certain instruments. Woodwind also seem to imitate birdsongs at certain times. An imposing march comes and goes, followed by a more lyrical response on strings. The movement ends with a slow and evocative coda
The second movement, Vent transparent (Transparent Wind), opens with string pedal notes, alternating between slow and fast glissandi. Brief orchestral tuttis serve to add brief splashes of colour. As in the first movement, ostinato figures are introduced and serve as the basis for most of the music. The texture becomes denser in the central part, before becoming thinner and more transparent. At the same time, the music becomes more lyrical and consonant, with melodic phrases on woodwinds. Orchestration thickens in a more dissonant passage before the movement ends with a static diminuendo coda.
The third movement, Blancor de neu (Snow Whiteness), begins with an ominous cluster chord followed by melodic phrases on woodwinds over strings and percussion. This cluster then returns and leads to an uncanny and dissonant passage, highly unstable harmonically. This is contrasted by a more consonant and melodic section, while still remaining unstable. Sharp dissonances lead to a climax, followed a richly scored lyrical passage dominated by strings. Then there is a reminiscence of the previous dissonant material, now softer and more consonant, before the movement ends with string glissandi and a meditative coda.
The fourth movement, Núvols brillants (Bright clouds), opens with brass figures answered by strings, creating a brilliant texture. As with the first movement, these motives and elements are the core of "Núvols brillants". The music become more intense and the scoring denser, leading to a climax. A more melodic and static passage offers dynamic contrast, before the music grows in a swelling and radiant climax, which extends until near the end. A violin is briefly left alone before the piece ends with diminuendo strings in an enigmatic fashion.
Picture: Photograph of the Temple of the Golden Pavillion (Kinkaku-ji) during snowfall, taken on February 9 of 2020.
Musical analysis written by myself.
Unfortunately, the score isn't freely available.
