This Sinfonietta n°4 pays tribute to one of the greatest French composers of the 20th century: Olivier Messiaen. The name Adhyatmika Svatantrata comes from Sanskrit. Adhyatmika » evokes spirituality and transcendence, while Svantantrata evokes freedom and emancipation. The title could therefore be translated as Spiritual Freedom.
Messiaen's relationship with Christianity and spirituality is one of the most important factors in his music. Savoyat therefore wanted to confront his own spirituality at a time when religion is playing an increasingly important role in societal debates once again.
The composer chose to take the Bible as a reference, and by rereading and comparing the differences in discourse between the first chapters, which evoke the life and message of Jesus, — where the mantra is love, respect, tolerance, and benevolence towards one's neighbors (whoever they may be) — and the rest of the Bible, where scenes are sometimes violent and encourage submission to religion, he was led to ask: what if Jesus was himself an enemy of Christianity?
The piece also features the Onde Martenot, a distinctive instrument in Olivier Messiaen's music. True to the composer's love of ornithology, Pierre-Antoine Savoyat transcribed nine birdsongs from around the world.
This Sinfonietta is in 6 parts, without interruptions: Introduction - Cruel World I, The Pure Soul, Satan in the Church - Cruel World II, Birds of Redemption, Ode to Love and Peace, Joy of the Stars and the Angels