The triptych Temptation of Saint Anthony is an oil painting on wood panels from the XVI century by the Netherlandish painter Hieronymus Bosch (1450-1516). The painting portraits the physical, mental and spir-itual torments endured by St. Anthony the Great, a common subject in Medieval and Renaissance art. Like in other Bosch’s works, this triptych uses a unique and fantastic imagery. The painting hangs in the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga in Lisbon and since my childhood is one of the places I often visit. It fascinated me into creating an ‘orchestre diabolique’ to portrait the scene. This triptych integrates the four elements of the universe (air, earth, water and fire) making them the setting for horrendous characters. The elements are cor-related to the family of instruments (woodwinds, percussion, strings and brass). The sounds of the orchestra where use, in particular the extended techniques, tremolos and glissandi. Varied percussive sounds of the instruments are added and transformed mixed with the usual percussive instrument, snares, toms, cymbals and timpani. In the form and structure there are repetitions, mimicking the continuous temptations. Each sound is manipulated and transformed into something just a little bit artificial, eluding the listener if these sounds where played like that or manipulated afterwards. Temptations are often illusions by one self or imposed by society or religion, so the spacialization, pitch and time transformations are added to keep that ambiguity and creating an immersive narrative. Several rebound, fluxus and oscillation movements are used throughout the piece, representing each temptation, that abruptly try to corrupt St. Anthony’s will.

Source: 2023