The Eleventh Partial
for horn
Composed for Nicola Robinson
First performance: 14 May 2022
Performed at the ANAM Set Festival by
Nicola Robinson (horn)
Program note:
In our societies, vulnerability is often concealed as it is considered a marker of weakness. This work is a study on the progression from an external confidence toward vulnerability and the authenticity, by way of busy-ness, distraction, frustration, anger, and reflection. It follows a journey where the subject faces their secret fears and hopefully come to terms with what they perceive as flaws. As she steps beyond concealment, a new kind of strength develops, bringing with it a new freedom to be who she truly is, and a greater capacity for authentic compassion towards her fellow beings. The work culminates in vulnerability, as an honest representation of herself, revealing what makes each of us unique, alike, and beautiful. I find these ideas especially relatable to the horn, a strong and powerfully present instrument of metal, yet the source of its glorious sounds is powered by the gentle, sensitive, and vulnerable human lips. The horn is capable of traversing from heroic strength to beautiful soft lyricism, seamlessly, within a single breath, and yet, this instrument has its innate perfect imperfections, and its breaking points. My exploration of the 7th, 11th and 13th partials is a metaphor for seeking and appreciating unique beauty and power we behold, when we allow the true expression of imperfection.
About the composer:
Noemi Liba Friedman's approach to composition is linguistic, textural, emotionally dynamic, multi-faceted and often multi-media. She creates original, specifically-built musical palettes for each of her works, interrogating what is silent, what lies beneath the surface and what is overwhelmingly present. Noemi wears many artistic hats, or rather a single multi-faceted one; a composer, arranger, creator of electronic music, electro-acoustic sound and visual designer, painter, jazz trained vocal performer, music producer and educator. Her music crosses mediums and cultures, genres and musics of the world. Noemi’s works have premiered at the Klangwerkstatt Festival für Neue Music in Berlin, the Camino Contro Corrente New Music Festival in Northern Italy, at the Brooklyn Art Museum, the United Nations in New York, the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, the Lewis Arts Complex at Princeton University and the Bendigo International Festival of Exploratory Music. As a solo vocalist, she has performed with John Zorn's Mycale, collaborated/performed with Biennale Artist Heri Dono, and with Nimrod Weiss of Eness. She has recorded 2 original vocal recordings, Freefall and See, Saw, with musicians based in Melbourne, Chicago and New York and has toured in Australia and overseas. Noemi is currently completing her Masters at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music. She has received the Florence Bradford Scholarship for excellence, the Ernst Morawetz Prize for Ethnomusicology and Musicology, the Catherine Mary Sullivan Scholarship in Music and the Cassidy Bequest Scholarship, as well as two consecutive awards for excellence, all for Composition.
More info: https://noemiliba.com/