STAGING/WIDER CONTRIBUTION - MUSIC

When choosing the music for my piece I wanted the sound to have a contrast of softness and sharpness, so I started looking for pieces of music with violins as I feel like their sound has the ability to make you feel calm and at peace as well as panicked. I further wanted at least one song to have a steady beat to represent the constance of a heartbeat that intertwines with the self throughout a life. I needed something slower at the start and more erratic towards the end. So, I started listening to EPs and albums by classical crossover/instrumental artists and found an EP by Ólauf Arnalds called The Invisible that invited a melancholy, introspective feel. The EP is a collation of 'eight forgotten tracks' that the artist created over a decade ago which I further felt was an interesting representation of this idea of introspection, looking in on the self and finding forgotten parts hidden away. 

I basically then used this EP as a soundtrack to our rehearsals before I decided on the final songs I wanted to use, which ended up being three. I picked the first song 'Partisans' as it is the introductory song on the album, and therefore had an introductory feel that reflects the self-exploration I want to establish at the start of the piece. The second song on the EP, 'The Invisible Front', is the second song I picked, as it has a steady piano beat that achieves what I want in representing a heartbeat without being jarring in comparison to the other violin-based pieces as well as flowing nicely from 'Partisans' as they follow each other in the EP. the last song I chose is 'Kadizonas', returning back to the violin but this time in a lower register that has a looming feel to it in comparison to the slightly softer/hopeful first track.

Partisans:

The Invisible Front:

Kadizonas:

After editing the music together, the MP3 file is 11 minutes and 41 seconds. Upon feedback from my supervisor in slowing down the first song's movement, I am thinking of starting with a bit of silence to give the start choreography time to breath a little bit and establish their starting position where the dancers are just breathing together on stage, but not too long as it's already a decently long piece.  

Arnalds, O. (2021) Partisans (Visualiser). 1 October. Available At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUeHmHMs7_0 (Accessed: 26/05/2024)

Arnalds, O. (2021) The Invisible Front. 21 October. Available At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwUyHTvJ0iw (Accessed: 26/05/2024)

Arnalds, O. (2021) Kadizonas. 21 October. Available At: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXvOMjXEp5o (Accessed: 26/05/2024)