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Work

Homage to Liszt : for violin, narrator and piano

by Michael Kieran Harvey (2011, this version: 2016)

Score Sample

View a sample of the score of this work

Audio Sample

Performance by Michael Kieran Harvey, Arjun Von Caemmerer from the CD Psychosonata

This sample is of the Duos: Percussion, piano version of this work

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Psychosonata

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CD

Psychosonata / Michael Kieran Harvey.

Version: This product features the Duos: Percussion, piano version of this work

Library shelf no. CD 2493 [Not for loan]

Display all products featuring this work (6 more)  

Work Overview

My own Homage to Liszt was a work for percussion and piano I wrote for Eugene Ughetti and myself to perform in a concert at ANAM in 2011, the year of Liszt's bicentennial, along with performances of Humphrey Searle's 1951 sonata (also a homage to Liszt and premiered at London's Wigmore Hall by my teacher Gordon Watson in that same year) and Liszt's favourite Beethoven sonata, the so-called Hammerklavier opus 106. Homage to Liszt is in six sections, the musical material of which is in some way related to Liszt with the exceptions of the Prologue and Epilogue, which are jazz-derived bookends, as if looking back at Liszt from the 21st century. The work is scored deliberately for a combination Liszt would not have considered during his day - the anti-rubato nature of so much 21st century music would be a curious development for his sensibilities.

This Homage is a work of genuine admiration, gratitude, humour and barefaced plagiarism in memory of the great Ferenc Liszt. It is in four sections - Ballade (based on Liszt's favourite interval, the diminished fifth, alternating with stacked fifth chords); Waltz (a re-imagining of his Transcendental etude no.11); Csardas (a frenetic Hungarian peasant workout); and Consolation (which in the melody uses a 12-tone serial note-row as did Liszt's later work) - introduced by a be-bop-influenced Prologue (in a 7 across 8 beat "Gaussian clock" cycle).

The version for solo piano was presented at a concert in the Conservatory of the Hobart Botanical Gardens on 2nd April 2017 honouring the 90th birthday of the great environmentalist Peter Cundall, to whom the work is dedicated. A version for solo piano and poet (Arjun von Caemmerer) was presented at a concert in the Hobart Town Hall honouring Peter Cundall. The version for violin and piano is inspired by the collaboration between Harvey, Arjun and Emily Sheppard.

Work Details

Year: 2011, this version: 2016

Instrumentation: Narrator, violin, piano.

Duration: 7 min.

Difficulty: Advanced — Highly virtuosic

Dedication note: Dedicated to Arjun Von Caemmerer

Commission note: Commissioned by Arjun Von Caemmerer.

First performance: by Emily Sheppard, Michael Kieran Harvey, Arjun Von Caemmerer at Vice Versa (Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music - University of Tasmania) on 9 Oct 2016

The composer notes the following styles, genres, influences, etc associated with this work:
Progrock, Zappa, Liberace.

Text for this version is taken from the percussion and piano version of 'Homage to Liszt' on the CD 'Psychosonata'.

Performances of this work

26 May 18: Penrith Symphony Orchestra Gala 30 Year Celebration, Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre, Penrith. Featuring Michael Kieran Harvey.

21 Oct 2017: at DSO: Kakadu (Darwin Convention Centre). Featuring Michael Kieran Harvey.

9 Oct 17: Tasmanian Conservatorium Recital Hall, Hobart. Featuring Michael Kieran Harvey, Emily Sheppard.

15 Jun 2017: at Michael Kieran Harvey - Solo recital (Trinity Grammar School, Orchestra Room). Featuring Michael Kieran Harvey.

2 Apr 17: Conservatory, Hobart Botanical Gardens. Featuring Michael Kieran Harvey.

6 Nov 2016: at Catchy Music (Smart Artz Gallery). Featuring Victor Brincat, Chris Nankervis.

9 Oct 2016: at Vice Versa (Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music - University of Tasmania). Featuring Arjun Von Caemmerer, Michael Kieran Harvey, Emily Sheppard.

21 May 11: Main Hall, Australian National Academy of Music, Melbourne. Featuring Michael Kieran Harvey, Eugene Ughetti.

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