I wrote this piece to celebrate 50 years of work and 500 instruments made by luthier Maurice Ottiger (who lent me the only folk guitar he made in 2007, which is the instrument used in the recording).
I wanted to make the two main woods of this instrument speak.
Part 1 - Indian rosewood (back and sides)
Transition - tilt
Part 2 - Swiss spruce (soundboard)
I wanted to incorporate a luthier's gesture into this, so I imagined the first time strings are put on a newly built instrument, which bends to this new tension and sings (through the wood) its first sounds.
The title Sortir du Bois (Coming Out of the Wood) can refer both to the sounds that come out of the wood and to the expression meaning to come out into the open, to reveal oneself.

Creation:

May 2025

Duration:

13mn

Instrumentation:

Folk guitar - No. 340 built by Mr Ottiger in 2007

Interpretation:

Josquin Schwizgebel

Musicians:

Josquin Schwizgebel

First performance:

Sunday 25th of May 2025 - Bulle (Festival Rencontres Guitares)

Contact-me to get a recording or the full score

What if darkness were to produce reflections ? What would their nature be ? What textures would they take on ? Would they be colorful, would they stand out or, maybe, be cold as ice ? Might our universe, as redrawn by these mysterious iridescences, speed up like a mad kaleidoscope and project us into a maelstrom of hypnotic sensation ?
As a result of these trains of thought, Swiss composer Josquin Schwizgebel has created Sables Stellaires for the classical guitar, in which the listener is embarked on a journey towards a space where worlds erode, revealing metallic glints, unpredictable echoes and strange shadowed reflections.


This recording is available courtesy of Naxos.
The piece comes from the record "Johan Smith - Guitar Recital - Laureate Series 2019".

Catalogue number : 8.574199
naxos.lnk.to/8574199Na!product_page#

The score of the complete collection is available under this link :
www.melbay.com/Products/30881EB/les-reflets-de-lobscurite-for-classical-guitar.aspx

Creation:

October 2019

Duration:

15mn

Instrumentation:

Guitar

Interpretation:

Johan Smith

Musicians:

Johan Smith

3 pieces for flute

Creation:

May 2015

Duration:

6mn

Instrumentation:

Flute

Contact-me to get a recording or the full score

4 pieces for guitar

Creation:

May 2014

Duration:

7mn

Instrumentation:

Guitar

Interpretation:

Josquin Schwizgebel

First performance:

Thursday 1st of May 2014 - (La Vulpillière 5, Puidoux)

Contact-me to get a recording or the full score

4 pieces for guitar

Creation:

December 2012

Duration:

7mn

Instrumentation:

Guitar

Interpretation:

Josquin Schwizgebel

First performance:

Saturday 1st of December 2012 - (La Vulpillière 5, Puidoux)

Contact-me to get a recording or the full score