Australian Music Centre | Breaking sound barriers

Work Overview

The Four Immortals are the Greek gods Zeus, his brother Poseidon, and Athena and Apollo, two of Zeus's many children.

Zeus is the king of the gods, having slain his own father, Kronos to take command (don't try this at home, folks). His brother Poseidon rules the oceans (whilst their other brother Hades rules the underworld), and together they rule the world and everything in it. But no family exists peacefully all the time, and the gods fight endless struggles against each other, before reconciling and going about their godly ways. Although there are many tales relating the exploits of these gods, this work does not specifically describe a particular story; just the idea of the gods themselves, and their power over us mere mortals.

In this piece, the gods are represented by four low brass soloists; Zeus is an F tuba, Poseidon is a C tuba, Apollo is an F tuba and Athena is an alto trombone. They enjoy a complex interplay of musical ideas throughout the piece. The rest of the ensemble acts as a Greek chorus, setting the scene and commenting on the action, then sometimes creating a soundscape all of their own.

Work Details

Year: 2013

Instrumentation: Solo alto trombone, 2 solo F tubas, solo C tuba, 3 trombones, 2 bass trombones, contra-bass trombone, euphonium, percussion (1 player).

Duration: 12 min.

Difficulty: Advanced

Dedication note: For Sergio Carolino, Steve Rosse, and Jessica and Tim Buzbee

Commission note: Commissioned by Steve Rosse, Sydney International Brass Festival.

First performance: Jul 13. Sydney International Brass Festival, Australia Hall, Sydney