Australian Music Centre | Breaking sound barriers

Work Overview

Vue de l'aigle or View of the Eagle was especially composed for Ilir Kodhima (Tirana, Albania), and is dedicated to Australian barrister, human rights and refugee advocate, and author Julian Burnside AO QC. Julian, with his progressive visionary perspective has for many years now not only been a supporter of all that is benevolent in the world, but as notable philanthropist has also been a supporter of a considerable amount of this composer's output for over a decade. A simple opening statement is therefore inadequate to highlight the importance of his noble cause (as philanthropist) and moral conviction (as activist), which has now destined the man to be remembered as a great inspirational force that has eminently nourished not only the individual artist and the legacy of Australian art, but also humanity as a whole. The title of the work is in reference to the field of vision of the eagle with an eye among the strongest in the animal kingdom and an eyesight estimated at four to eight times stronger than that of the average human. The eagle is the symbol of Albania, and the Albanian tale 'The Eagle and the King' tells the story of a young boy, who after saving an eaglet from a snake (killing the snake with his bow and arrow in a hunting trip) takes the young bird as his prize, to be then stopped in his tracks by the mother eagle who promises the boy that in exchange for her child, she will reward the boy with the sharpness of her eyes and the powerful strength of her wings. Born is the legend of Shqipëtar, or Son of the Eagle and the kingdom of Shqipëria, or Land of the Eagles. The boy (watched and guided by the eaglet, which in time grows into a great eagle), grows into a great warrior, and is consequently elected by the people as king for his strength and bravery. The Albanian national flag today features a red background with a black two-headed eagle in its centre, which represent strength and valor, as well as the sovereign state of Albania respectively.

Work Details

Year: 2018

Instrumentation: French horn, piano.

Duration: 8 min.

Difficulty: Advanced — Professional

Dedication note: Dedicated to Julian Burnside

Written for: Ilir Kodhima

First performance: 18 Oct 21. 2021 Balcan Contemporary Music Festival, Salla ‘Çesk Zadeja’, Universiteti i Arteve Tiranë (University of the Arts-Tirana), Tirana, Albania

The composer notes the following styles, genres, influences, etc associated with this work:
Julian Burnside AO QC, 'Traité d'harmonie, tonale, atonale et totale' (1947) by Larry Sitsky, 'Music of the repressed Russian avant-garde', 1900-1929 (1994) by Tom Johnson, 'Other harmony: Beyond tonal and atonal' (2014) by De Bruijn cycle, and Nikolai Borisovich Obukhov's works 'The eagle and the king' (1892-1954), 'Le temple est mesuré', and 'L’Esprit est incarné for pianoforte' (1952).