Noriko Baba: Bestiarium Musicale VI (2026)

Noriko Baba (*1972) Bestiarium Musicale VI, for orchestra (2026) 00:00 Pholidota 02:27 Noctua 06:37 Querquedula (~attacca) 09:21 Torpedo SWR Symphonieorchester François-Xavier Roth, conductor German Première, 18 October 2026, Donaueschinger Musiktage '26 To leaf through a medieval bestiary is to watch real creatures and imaginary monsters come to life side by side, each carrying its own narrative. This work seeks to release the spirit of those illuminated manuscripts into a contemporary sonic space, where the ear takes the place of the eye and sound gives rise to acoustic fables. The impulse behind this cycle, however, sprang from a much more ordinary experience: adopting a dog. Sharing daily life with another living being gradually transformed the way I perceived the world around me. I became increasingly drawn not to representing an animal’s outward appearance, but to capturing its sheer presence through sound. That curiosity eventually led me back to the medieval tradition. This sixth volume follows the destinies of four creatures. Pholidota (Pangolin) I first encountered the pangolin in the archives of the Musée de la Cour d’Or in Metz, where its singular specimen and silhouette immediately captivated me. While looking for videos of the animal’s daily life afterward, I discovered its hesitant, almost awkward movements. Protected by a coat of hard scales yet moving with remarkable delicacy, it embodies a striking tension between armor and vulnerability. This inspired a musical language of abrupt gestures and repeated oscillations, highlighting the contrast between its solid exterior and its fragile, tentative steps. Noctua (Owl) This movement explores the passage of time through the owl’s circadian rhythm. It opens in a blurred, uncertain atmosphere, reflecting the bird’s impaired vision in daylight. As night falls, the music settles into a sparse, eerie landscape animated only by the whisper of wings and the rush of the wind. With the approach of dawn, silence gently reclaims the space. Querquedula (Garganey) Here, the point of departure is linguistic rather than visual. The rhythmic profile of the Latin name – Quer-que-du-la – became the musical seed of the piece. The bird’s calls are transformed into rapid, energetic figures that progressively intensify before morphing into the sound of an evacuation alarm, which drives the transition to the final movement. Torpedo (Electric Ray) The final movement draws its inspiration from the electric ray and its sudden electrical discharges. Emerging directly from the alarm of the previous piece, the music unfolds through violent sonic impulses, erupting like flashes of lightning. After a succession of sharp bursts and suspended tensions, the music suddenly flashes back – the conflict subsides, and the ocean reclaims its silence as the cycle comes to a close. LIVE: Abschlusskonzert Donaueschinger Musiktage 2026 | François-Xavier Roth | SWR Symphonieorchester https://www.youtube.com/live/jWmYmFB2yrs Donaueschinger Musiktage '26 #domt26 https://www.swr.de/donaueschinger-mus... Ausführliches Programmbuch der Donaueschinger Musiktage '26 https://cutt.ly/ryEHmjPt Official Composer Soundcloud   / user-399565790   This video has a purpose of promotion, not for profit. If you have any complaints about copyright issues, please write me a direct message at dhdmlwls02(at)gmail(dot)com before submitting a report to YouTube. Then I will delete the video as soon as possible.