Radiolab – "Salle Des Departs"

Date: January 29, 2008
Hosts: Jad Abumrad
Guest: David Lang (Composer)
Producer: Jocelyn Gonzalez

Episode Overview

This episode of Radiolab explores the role and philosophy of music in spaces of death and mourning, focusing on composer David Lang’s commissioned work "Salle des Départs"—background music for a French hospital morgue’s viewing room. The conversation delves into the ethical and emotional complexities of writing music for such a liminal and sacred moment, as well as how music functions beyond entertainment, acting as a vessel for memory, emotion, and permission to grieve.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Setting the Scene: Music Is Everywhere

• Jad Abumrad introduces the episode by reflecting on the omnipresence of music in modern life—from stores to waiting rooms to being on hold. The ubiquity prompts Radiolab to explore music's function in unexpected places, leading them to David Lang and his unusual commission.
  • "Everywhere you go, there’s music playing. ...while we were thinking about this show...we bumped into mention of a project from David Lang...He was commissioned to create background music for the most unlikeliest of places: the morgue." (01:26)

The Genesis of "Salle des Départs"

• David Lang shares his personal history with loss and how memorialization through music recurs in his work.
  • “When I was very young, I had a brother who died. ...I actually have many pieces which are about how to memorialize someone...” (02:07)
• Lang explains the context of the commission: doctors in Garches, outside Paris, sought a better environment for grieving families, leading to the construction of a serene, artful morgue viewing room, and the search for appropriate accompanying music.
  • “They made this little space, and then they thought, now that we have the space, we should see if music can participate in this space.” (03:40)

Musical Choices: Beyond Performance

• Lang describes his process and intentions:
  • The piece is written for three cellos and women's voices, but crucially, is "deliberately not intended to be performed live."
  • The music features an unbroken vocal line (rendered possible only via studio), to evoke something superhuman—“like angels.”
    • “So the instruction of how to play it in the score is to play it like angels. It's supposed to be something that's past the ability of human beings to play it.” (05:13)
  • Lang insists that the music is not imposed: families can choose whether to have the music played.

Music as Emotional “Permission”

• Lang is acutely aware of music’s psychological power, especially in moments of vulnerability. He purposefully avoids manipulating emotions, instead designing "Salle des Départs" to be neutral—neither pushing grief, nor enforcing calm.
  • “I wanted to actually do something which...was to say, here is an environment which does not tell you specifically how you are supposed to feel, but...which may loosen your resolve enough to give yourself permission to feel whatever you want...” (07:27)
  • "All of our training in our society is to avoid those horrible experiences and avoid those horrible emotions... For this piece, I wanted to make something which gave people permission to examine which way they wanted to go with their emotions." (08:08)

The Paradox of Mourning Music

• Lang reflects on the strange wish that, ideally, his piece would never need to be heard—no one would lose a loved one.
  • “Your goal is you hope that no one ever hears this piece actually...no one should ever have to hear this music.” (06:22)
• He strongly disagrees with the notion of the music being played on an endless loop, preferring that it finishes naturally and leaves space for silence and personal grieving.
  • “I felt like this music should last a certain amount of time until it accomplishes its musical task, and then it should be over...if you decide that you would like to stay there longer, that's between you and the silence.” (06:40)

Personal Resonance

• Lang expresses how, in a way, this commission felt like a culminating task for him—creating the environment he wished he’d had during his own losses.
  • “I felt as ridiculous as it sounds when this commission came my way, I felt like I'd been waiting my whole life to get this.” (08:35)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the power of music:
  “Music goes into you...it sort of bypasses all of your normal protection mechanisms, so it goes to the place of you which is not dealing with language or rationality. And that's why it's so useful to sell cars and toothpaste...why it's so useful in movies to get people to all burst into tears at exactly the same moment.” — David Lang (06:59)
• On the commission's weight:
  “I really felt like I was trying to make the environment that would have been the right environment for the experiences I have already had.” — David Lang (08:53)
• On intention:
  “I could imagine somebody taking it very frivolously...here's my opportunity to write the tune that's going to make people cry. But I certainly didn't want to do that.” — David Lang (09:08)

Important Segments & Timestamps

• 00:26 – Jad Abumrad introduces the central “morgue music” concept and David Lang’s commission.
• 02:07 – David Lang recounts his personal background with mortality and memorial music.
• 03:17-04:50 – The hospital’s goals and the creation of a meaningful space for mourning.
• 05:11-06:22 – Description of the musical piece, recording strategy, and the concept of non-intrusiveness.
• 06:22-07:50 – Music’s task: influencing emotions vs. offering neutral space.
• 07:50-09:08 – Striving for authenticity and resisting sentimentality in composition.

Closing Notes

• The episode ends with a nod to the upcoming Radiolab season's further exploration of "music’s ability to move us."
• Producer Jocelyn Gonzalez’s segment integrated portions of Lang’s "Salle des Départs," allowing listeners to experience the intended atmosphere.

For more about the space and the project, visit Radiolab.org.
Music in excerpt: "Salle des Départs," David Lang, recorded for the Hospital Raymond Poincare in Garches, France.