for Notre-Dame du Haut

Performance: 29 July 2023

Location: Chapel Notre-Dame du Haut, Ronchamp

Architect: Le Corbusier, 1955

for Notre-Dame du Haut

I first visited Le Corbusier’s Chapel Notre-Dame du Haut in the summer of 2019. Two wonderful afternoons were spent acquainting myself with this glorious building and its stunning surroundings. I returned in October 2019 and February 2020, this time staying in the Renzo Piano monastery blocks. Experiencing the chapel in different seasons has greatly deepened not only my understanding of the building and its environs but also my appreciation of Le Corbusier’s handling of light.

The work is in three sections, each of which is informed by different features of the building.

Section 1 

The floating and light opening section focuses mostly on the soprano with the text coming from Le Corbusier’s handwritten words on the windows. Lazy slides from the soprano create a sense of imbalance, which is then matched by pitch bends on the bass flute. Finally, a singing bowl joins the texture, further adding to the unevenness through its unique unstable tuning. This first section embraces two aspects of the building; the cambered sloping floor that recognizes the hilltop location and the gradual adjustment of the eyes to the light when first entering the chapel.   

Section 2

Le Corbusier regarded the altar as the chapel’s “centre of gravity”. From the sparse, uneven texture of the opening, the music is now unified, with a sense of stability. This section is based on the small apertures in the altar wall, which Le Corbusier described as stars surrounding the Holy Virgin.

We first hear a short musical idea, in which the position of the 14 ‘stars’ on the wall is reflected in the position of notes in the musical score. Gradually, through repetition, a playful open quality is introduced. The musicians determine the duration of notes and can freely replace a pitch with a note nearby. Percussive effects are then heard, before we return to the original idea, finishing the section in a unified and balanced fashion. 

Section 3

The final section focuses on the famous south wall. Each window is unique in size, depth, and use of colour. A range of textures on the cello and bass flute depict the different qualities of light emanating through the windows. 

The soprano’s calm and stately entries become lively and lyrical. This reflects the dancing quality of the colours cast onto the white grain of the concrete. The soprano is joined by similar gestures on the bass flute and cello before the music calms once more, with some final references to the play of light. A serene contemplative ending brings the piece gently to a close.