Name: The Poet by Isabella Rahme
Duration: 3 min 17 s
Description: The Poet uses sections from the poem "The Poet" by Khalil Gibran as text and inspiration, and was composed by Isabella Rahme for her Elective Composition HSC submission. The piece is written for SSA choir and harp, featuring a soprano solo, and was nominated for the 2018 HSC Encore Showcase.

Written for and alongside Van Angelo Rosales' short film Wabi Sabi exploring impermanence and imperfection in the everyday.

Wabi Sabi (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Lipogram (2021) - for solo violin

A "lipogram" is a literary work that entirely avoids the use of an
individual letter. Generally, this will be a frequently used letter,
like "E","T", or "A" in the English language. In this work, I apply the
same idea to a 12-tone system of tuning, and omit the most popular
note from that set, while making use of every other tone available.
My work leaps around the violin's range, taking full advantage of a
variety of timbres, volumes, and instrumental expressions as it does
so, ending with moves towards the absent tone, both by semitone and
by fifth, that never arrive.

Performed by Tanya Swinton.

Lipogram

Recorded by the Sydney Conservatorium of Music Orchestra.

Sonation - Recording

This work is a collaboration between Daniel Blinkhorn and Anna McMichael as included on the release, ‘Open Polar Sea’, on the UnSounds label (cat# 46U). 
Composer; Daniel Blinkhorn, Violin, Anna McMichael.

NFSA Title No: 1274802
Image: 'FrostbYte, Drift', cover artwork. NFSA Title No. 1274805

From the artist:
"A constant drifting of spectral energies across the gestural, timbral and textural continuum unfold throughout the work. Recordings of the high arctic region of Svalbard inspire the formation of gesture and timbre on Violin, which in turn shapes the trajectory of electroacoustic materials based on the same field recordings."

www.danielblinkhorn.com

About Lateral Listening: Curated by Tessa Elieff for the NFSA, each episode presents an Australian artist for your auditory delight. Primary focus for this series is genres associated with/including sound art and experimental musics, with the intent to bring to light the extraordinary caliber of Australian artists who work within these realms.

Enjoy,

Daniel Blinkhorn - FrostbYte, Drift (2014)

The Cloud Of Unknowing

String quartet with electric guitar, based on 70's prog rock and classical romantic music. Generously commissioned by Jennifer Carter for Don Carter

Romancing the Dragon

Paulo Chagas : flute
Marco Lucchi : piano

original composition by Marco Lucchi and Paulo Chagas

for 'ancient modes'

2018

Paulo Chagas & Marco Lucchi - Echoes

The Poet uses sections from the poem "The Poet" by Khalil Gibran as text and inspiration, and was composed by Isabella Rahme for her Elective Composition HSC submission. The piece is written for SSA choir and harp, featuring a soprano solo, and was nominated for the 2018 HSC Encore Showcase.

The Poet

Exquisite Blood explores Titian’s painting of the Crucifixion. Titian has been called the father of modern painting. His methods unified content with the physical application of paint. For the Crucifixion he stabbed paint on the canvas to render Christ’s wound. The paint has a physical texture commensurate with the violence of the scene. To capture this method in sound, Barbeler developed the idea of a “sound canvas” where every level of the music – the figuration, harmony, recording techniques, electronic filtering,  largescale-structure and so on – expresses both the texture of paint and the emotion of Christ’s passion. 

Exquisite Blood came in part from the composer’s interest in self-similarity and the compelling character of such textures in our lives; for example, our fascination with clouds, the ocean, wood grain, sandstone and so on. Paint is made from natural materials crushed and mixed with oil. It behaves like a natural substance and is self-similar. The art of painting requires the painter to understand the natural forces at play as the paint goes on the canvas. Titian had a supreme understanding of these forces. Barbeler has used Titian’s example as a means to understanding those same forces, and to developing equivalent techniques in sound. A further source of inspiration was Barbeler’s interest in the influence of sound recording and production techniques on our hearing. In recent times the highly polished, highly compressed production techniques used to make commercial CDs have become an aesthetic phenomenon in their own right. In more traditional styles of classical recording the microphones are placed further away from the performers to capture the character of the instruments in a natural acoustic; and the maximum possible dynamic range is maintained through the least possible sound compression. Exquisite Blood uses both recording styles to create an expanded compositional palette of startling richness and contrast.

Exquisite Blood was created with assistance from ABC Classic FM, ABC Classics and the Ian Potter Cultural Trust. Thanks to the Seraphim Trio who dedicated themselves to perfecting this sometime diabolical work. Thanks also to Virginia Read and Bob Scott whose technical skill and fabulous ears were invaluable. The work was awarded "Recommended Work" at the 2004 UNESCO International Rostrum of Composers.

Exquisite Blood (piano trio and electronics) Barbeler

Opus- String Quartet

Performed by Lucy Blomfield, Bahar Hakimjavadi and Michelle Stafurik

The main inspiration for this composition stemmed from a moment I experienced of believing I knew what was happening in the world. Yet, I ultimately realised that I had convinced myself of my knowledge and this was terrifying. Being an Australian-Lebanese composer, I found myself in this position during the Beirut Explosion on August 5th, 2020. With the constant political uncertainty, as well as the global pandemic, and now the aftermath of the explosion, my country of heritage has suffered immensely this year and living in Australia has placed many restrictions of what my family and I could do to help others. To many, this date would seem essentially insignificant being another day locked up in quarantine, but for myself, it changed my perception of the world- although we may be living a life that is in comfort, we must never forget the constant suffering in the world. Those that have been lost, and those that continue to live within this organised mess of the world, it is this collective experience of loss that ties humanity together. This work unpacks feeling extremely helpless, moments of anger, confusion and despair, but ultimately finding solace within this world of continual unrest- all valid emotions to be feeling during this devastating year.

5.8.20

Isabella Rahme is a composer, harpist & vocalist living and making music on Gadigal land (Sydney, Australia)

The Poet

Isabella Rahme

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