Noemi

My first self-publication, 'Noemi' is a piece in 3 movements for solo guitar, written for and inspired by my fiance, Naomi.

First, a brief history of the piece: why, if her name is Naomi, would I entitle the piece Noemi? Noemi is the french equivalent of Naomi (it should have an accent over the 'e') and my fiance tells me that there was some debate over whether or not her name should be the English or the french version...

Her father is from Mauritius and as such his first language is french; her mother, however, is from London and finally won the battle to give her daughter an English name. I decided, however, (for no other reason than the romance of it) that the piece would use the french name.

Now, the composition itself. It was my intention that the three movements would show different aspects of our relationship and of her personality.

The first movement is full of rich harmonies and rising figures/patterns for no other reason than to demonstrate the overflowing love that we have for each other. The syncopated rhythms of the final section of this movement give the sense of drive and forward motion; Naomi is continually pushing into new areas and thinking of how to stretch the boundaries. I also take the opportunity in this movement to introduce the 'Naomi Motif' which takes the shape of brief arpeggiated figure across a wide range; this idea returns in the other movements and is there partly to show the immutability of our mutual love and partly to show that, despite the different characteristics of her and our relationship that we are exploring, she is still the same person.

The second movement is much slower and more meditative. I wrote it with the view of depicting the quieter moments that we share, the times when we just sit and hold each other and neither of us has to say a word. The middle section of this movement, then, could come across as confusing as it seems to turn the piece into something more aggressive. Other than creating a pleasing musical contrast, this section serves as part of the isomorphism as well: it is in these quieter, more still moments that my imagination and mind run away from me. I start to think of everything we've shared and been through, and all the things that are still to come and the ideas and memories pile up on me one by one, become more and more dense every second. The third section of this movement is a steadily rising pattern that is simple there to reflect my rising heartbeat as these thoughts pass through my mind. It is also worth noting that the second section of this movement is built entirely upon the Naomi Motif.

The third and final movement is far more energetic than the other two and it focuses on our future together. When we discuss what's to come in our lives my heart begins to race with excitement and enthusiasm and that is what this movement is about. The slower section within this movement again is not solely for the purpose of musical contrast. Some of the things that we are going to face in our lives and on some level scary and intimidating and this section expresses the occasional vulnerability that I feel.

All in all I hope this composition shows just how much I love Naomi and how frustratingly ineffable that love is...