Veiled
Niloufar NourbakhshPiece Duration: 08:40
About this Piece
("Veiled" is from 0:05-8:45)
Program Note: "I think it takes a lot of courage to stand up against something that everyone has accepted as normal. Personally as an Iranian woman, I carry a lot of anger with me: the anger that comes from things I’ve witnessed happen to the women in my personal life, to larger scale growing up in a country that actively veils women’s presence — be it through compulsory hijab or banning solo female singers from pursuing a professional career.
I think for me it’s important to transform this anger into a collective force that is both beautiful and resilient. Veiled is a tribute to Iranian women who made such transformations possible." - Niloufar Nourbakhsh
Sheet Music: Click here for a Score Preview!
Live Instrument with Electronics / Texture: (See Notable Passages below) "Veiled" is a bit less conventional example of Texture, compared to the others in this database! The cellist creates their own accompaniment and atmospheric elements by using a microphone, singing and playing, playing percussively on the cello, and playing along with a recorded Iranian vocalist!
Notable Passages
Description:
To begin the piece, the composer asks the cellist to "create a souncscape with the microphone itself." The cellist rubs their thumb against the microphone, creating a wash of grainy sounds to play over!
These sounds are looped on the speakers behind the player. What a creative and unique musical texture! What does it remind you of?
Keywords: Live Instruments with Electronics , Texture - Misc.
Description:
The performer sings and plays at the same time, then makes percussive sounds on the fingerboard.
These percussive sounds begin to loop in the electronics, creating a spooky and rustling texture!
Keywords: Live Instruments with Electronics , Texture - Misc.
Description:
The performer accompanies a recorded Iranian vocalist, who sings through the electronics. The performer plays pizzicato, and the electronics play their notes back in reverse! This is called retrograde.
Keywords: Live Instruments with Electronics , Pizzicato