The Book of Genesis cycle was composed for a very special occasion, a concert given in the crypt of the Abbaye Saint Victor in Marseille as part of the Les Voix des Suds festival.
Given the high spirituality of the place, I chose to illustrate musically five short extracts taken from the first chapters of Genesis, the first book of the Bible. A fundamental story of origins for Judaism and Christianity, it derives from even more ancient mythologies from Egypt, the Near East and Asia Minor.

Given its subject matter, In the Beggining, the first piece in the cycle, was bound to be much simpler, almost austere. In ABA form, it is based on the text:
’ The earth was formless and empy, darkness was over the abyss and the breath of God was hovered the waters. ‘Genesis 1:02

Then the Eyes is the most lyrical and expressive piece in the cycle. In AABACA form, it is based on the text:
’ Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they realised they were naked. So they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. ‘Genesis 3:07

Let the Birds Fly is built as an ABCBA arch and is based on the text: ‘Let the waters abound with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth under the firmament of heaven. ‘Genesis 1:20

The Breath of Life is the most rhapsodic piece and doesn't really obey any form. It is the most exalted and mystical piece and is based on the text:
‘Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.’ Genesis 2:07

The Most Cunning, which closes the cycle, is the most oriental piece. After an introduction, it adopts the system of repeating 3 themes so common in klezmer music ABCABCA'B'C'C‘’ and is based on the text:
‘Now the snake was the most cunning animal that the Lord God had made.’ Genesis 3:01

I wanted to give equal treatment to the two instruments that make up this duet. My writing challenge was to turn the accompaniment into a solo and the solo into an accompaniment, thus creating a melody of timbre with the aim of bringing more colour to the piece and more playfulness to the performers.
Freely inspired by the klezmer style, all the melodies are nonetheless original.
The Book of Genesis was premiered by my son Esteban and myself on 27 October 2024.

Frédéric Cellier

Encouraged by Jean Françaix, who hailed him as ‘an excellent musician and tireless arranger’, Frédéric Cellier wrote a number of pieces of light music and a considerable number of arrangements in all styles and for all instruments acclaimed by numerous personalities in the music world.
Along his university studies (DEA in musicology, University of Paris IV-Sorbonne), Frédéric Cellier was awarded three first prizes and a development prize at the CNR of Nice and won first prize at the International Competition of Musical Execution - soloist category – of Stresa (Italy).
He is the laureate of the Fondation de France and the Yehudi Menuhin Foundation and accredited teacher at the CNR of Nice, the CNR of Marseille, and at the CRR Olivier Messiaen of Avignon (France).
Frédéric Cellier is the interpreter of Francis Poulenc’s Sonata for clarinet Bb and piano with Jean-Michel Damase, Jean Françaix or Gabriel Tacchino, but also performs his own version for clarinet, piano and string orchestra of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in blue for Wynton Marsalis or under the baton of Adrian Gershwin, grandson of the composer.