Audiences are set for an exceptional show this month, with the world premiere of a new composition shaped by the stars. Paul Nicolau, 19, composed Nocturne for A Southern Cross for Solo Violin for his friend, the brilliant 20-year-old violinist Robert Smith. Ahead of their performances in May, Paul shared his story.
What inspired the composition?
Whenever I approach composing a new piece, I like to have a certain origin, story, or some form of concrete or conceptual inspiration. This was especially exciting for the theme of our concert series, ‘Meditations by Nightfall’, as I’d had a particular idea for a ‘night piece’ that I was waiting to explore and realise; Nocturne for a Southern Cross.
People across centuries and continents have been inspired to create soundscapes inspired by nightfall. As the moon rises, sunlight fades, and nature quietens, we are drawn to contemplate the world, the universe and beyond. Each work we selected for the program offers a unique invitation to embrace and reflect on nightfall; in the case of my work, the focus is the Southern Cross.
How did your knowledge about the Southern Cross shape your composition?
The Crux, more commonly known as the Southern Cross, is composed of five primary stars in the Southern Sky – Alpha Crucis, Beta Crucis, Gamma Crucis, Delta Crucis, and Epsilon Crucis. These names utilise the first five letters of the Greek Alphabet. In the Modern English (Latin) alphabet, these letters are most often assigned to A, B, G, D, and E. Such letters also happen to be represented as musical pitch classes, a series of pitches with the same letter name.
Nocturne for a Southern Cross makes use of these five pitch classes and their separate harmonic series to construct a musical illustration of the Southern Cross. The piece freely deviates and returns to these pitches to facilitate a celestial exploration of time and space through the sound of a solo violin. Throughout, we hear sparkling and meditative moments of artificial and natural harmonics, reflecting the shimmer of the stars, and soaring melodies carrying us between them.
What attracted you to the ‘Music and Tea’ Emerging Artist Concert Series?
The series allows individuals like myself to freely explore our creativity and musicality by assembling a concert program that I am passionate about. This allows a genuine delivery of the concert, ensuring a positive experience for both the performers and audiences, where audiences can be guided through an immersive musical story, all whilst granting invaluable experience to the emerging performers.
Meditations by Nightfall – Music Inspired by Nightfall
World Premiere: Nocturne for A Southern Cross for Solo Violin. With Paul Nicolaou (19) harp and composer & Robert Smith (20) violin and viola.
3 May: St Jude’s Bowral, 1:15 pm
4 May: Music and Tea at the Gallery. 11am
Cameron Carter, winner of the Wollongong Conservatorium Concerto Competition 2022, will open the concert with a performance of the first movement of the Bruch Violin Concerto.