Martin Friedel
Martin Friedel (1945–2022) was an Australian composer whose work ranged from chamber opera and cantata to film and television. A trained scientist, he often drew themes from physics and natural philosophy into his music.
Born in Germany, he settled with his family at Narbethong in Victoria in the 1950s and later took degrees in physics, mathematics and chemistry at the University of Melbourne. He also studied piano and conducting.
His early reputation grew in the theatre of the 1970s, composing and directing for the Pram Factory, the Melbourne Theatre Company and other companies. That work sharpened his interest in words and music: he wrote six chamber operas, four large-scale cantatas and other choral pieces, often to his own texts, some based on scientific themes.
From 1985 the Melbourne ensemble ASTRA premiered many of his chamber and vocal works, among them the septet Invisible Landscapes (2008). Movements from The School of Natural Philosophy (MD 3324) first appeared in ASTRA concerts within his cantatas. Later piano scores include Vanishing Point (MD 3438) and the cycle …the life in between… (MD 3483).
From the 1980s he earned his living writing for film and television, with more than sixty soundtracks for the BBC, French and US networks, the ABC and SBS. He received two AFI nominations and an Emmy among other international awards.
Martin Friedel is featured on the following titles
The life in between
Michael Kieran Harvey anchors this solo piano programme with Martin Friedel’s final work, …the life in between…, then sets it among virtuoso scores by Pertout, Crossman, Spiers, Selleck and McAlley.
Compositions by Martin Friedel also appear on
Dancing to the Tremors of Time
A collection of music reflecting the art of Mona – eclectic, surreal and powerful. Michael Kieran Harvey performs new works for solo piano by seven Australian composers.
The School of Natural Philosophy
Michael Kieran Harvey plays new music for keyboard by Graham Hair, Douglas Knehans, Martin Friedel, Richard Meale and Hilda Paredes, linking science, landscape and modernist piano writing.