Primeiro os olhos

When I asked Inês Francisco Jacob to write a short poem for me to set to music, her first question was whether I had a specific concept in mind or any guiding vision for the composition. I simply told her that what captivated me about the Grand Auditorium at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation was watching the panels at the back of the hall open slowly, revealing the tree’s green leaves contrasting against the color of the wood. She answered:

“Primeiro os olhos / De seguida todo o corpo / Por fim as mãos”

I thank her deeply.