Les Élémens, simphonie nouvelle is a ballet of the late Baroque period composed for instrumental ensemble in 1737 and 1738 by Jean-Féry Rebel (1666 – 1747).
The first chaos, marked "très lent", begins with a dissonant tone cluster which includes all the notes of the D harmonic minor scale (D, E, F, G, A, B♭, C♯),[2] which is held for two measures by the strings, the bassoon and the harpsichord, in dynamics indicated "fort" and "strong" (also known as a decrescendo), followed by a silence.
[3] The rest of the symphony comprises dances and pieces of varied instrumentation, from 2 to 5 parts, including horns and oboes, in which the elements are evoked without the harmonic audacity of the introduction.
The engraved edition is presented as a reduction comprising two parts for violins, two for flutes and a bass, but includes indications allowing richer instrumentation.
A score and handwritten separate parts that were probably used in the performance indicate the participation of Bassoon, Hunting horn, Oboe, and a Double bass.
These distinctive characters are recognized, separated or confused, in whole or in part, in the various occasions, which I call by the name of Cahos and which mark the efforts which the Elemen make to get rid of each other.
According to the brief report of the Mercure de France of March 1738, the harmonic daring of the composition does not seem to have repelled the audience: "The Académie Royale de Musique gave [...] two performances of the Opera Cadmus with a very large audience; this piece was followed by [...] and by Sr Rebel, the father's Cahos , which is assessed by the greatest connoisseurs to be one of the finest symphony pieces that exist of its genre".
[6] After two centuries of obscurity, the ballet was performed in 1950 at the Théâtre de la Reine with choreography by Serge Lifar by an orchestra conducted by Roger Désormière.