Creation: June 1969 at Vaison la Romaine
Duration: 12′
“Shen” which means depth is an attempt to penetrate the mysterious depths of life (sheng): the rhythms of heartbeats, of breathing. Musically, the work is based on three kinds of elements: sequences of solemn, ritual character, dancing, cheerful, even ironic rhythms, observations resulting from a study of the characteristics and variations of the human heartbeat and breathing. During development, these three basic elements collide, intertwine, overlap and gradually change through their reciprocal influence. The composer is primarily interested in composing “lively” music”.