‘Renuo’ in Latin means denial. The piece depicts denial as one of the stages of grief. By using the single line ‘I’m fine’, the performer invites us to watch an inner world of that emotion. Fragmented music sentences, created using serial techniques and the flat dynamic world of the piece hold the audience in a prolonged sense of tension. The performer not only uses voice to portray the inner state, but also movement. Moving away from the instrument works by making the pianist vulnerable through actions other than playing. Conceptually it shows that someone experiencing denial cannot be present, and often fluctuates between a sense of tension and disturbance.
‘Renuo‘ belongs to a larger piece of work called ‘Requiem Moderna’ written and realised in June 2024.
Special thanks to Milda Vitartaitė who spent endless amount of time practising and experimenting with me. Alongside Valentina Vidal who supported movement coordination as well as Izzy Rabey for general directing support.
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