So Much Myself: Piano Portraits

So Much Myself: Piano Portraits description

Weaving together archival footage, narrative and melody, virtuoso pianist Sonya Lifschitz and composer Robert Davidson create a series of musical portraits spanning centuries of female leaders, scientists and artists.

This compelling new work from the creators of Stalin’s Piano brings together stories of discovery through the recorded words of some of our greatest creators and voices, including figures as diverse as Marie Curie, Frida Kahlo, Dame Nellie Melba, Patti Smith, Malouma, Ethel Smyth and Nina Simone. Lifschitz’s own voice adds a layer of connection as she shares the story of her grandmother and great-aunt escaping Kyiv while Nazi bombs fell. These are stories of people bringing their fullest selves to the challenges of convention, danger, inertia and prejudice.

Davidson’s composition is an exploration of the tensions faced by these incredible innovators – their courage and doubts, triumphs and failures, tenderness and ferocity. Throughout the work, Lifschitz’s piano anchors the stories and transforms them into songs, with the melodies derived from each person’s spoken intonation. This stunningly original collection probes the big questions of our time and is a powerful ode to creators who have shaped our world.

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Credits

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Composer, editor Robert Davidson
Piano, narrator Sonya Lifschitz
Videographer Christine Johnston
Video editor, mastering Justin Brown

This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body.

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