Dominic Sewell
La Belle Noiseuse
(2021)
for harp
Duration: 10'
Solos:
harp
La Belle Noiseuse
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Work introduction
The piece was commissioned by Amy Turk for her MA Performance recital at the Royal Academy of Music in 2014 where it received its world premiere. The piece alludes to the 1991 film directed by Jacques Rivette. ‘La Belle Noiseuse’ roughly translates as The Beautiful Troublemaker. The story of the film is about an ageing artist who comes out of retirement to work on one last painting. This piece, rather, explores the hypnotic and contemplative state of mind which alternately seems mysterious as well as forthright. The fast paced ending is as if the artist has been taken over by some sort of artistic fire.