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From the CD Works for orchestra [or] large ensemble |
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Works for orchestra [or] large ensemble / Brett Dean.
Library shelf no. CD 1177 [Available for loan]
Work Overview
Ceremonial was commissioned by Symphony Australia for
the 75th Anniversary of the West Australian Symphony Orchestra.
Scored for a large orchestra, it is in one single movement of
approximately 8 minutes in length.
Following the commencement of hostilities in Iraq in mid-March,
2003, I went for a walk through my neighborhood of Melbourne and
was struck by the number of churches openly inviting passers-by
to partake in a few moments of spontaneous personal prayer, which
I felt unusually compelled to do. This was of a thoroughly
apolitical nature, the church offering not only general prayers
for peace, but also more specific prayers for both the innocent
civilian victims of war and the safe return of our servicemen and
women.
Just as churches, indeed religious buildings of any denomination,
offer spaces of architectural and spiritual repose, balance and
beauty, opening their doors in times of both turmoil and joy
alike, so too is my Ceremonial perhaps best interpreted as a
"space for thought and prayer", erected in this instance during a
time of war; reflective slow music written in what I personally
consider to be a darkly significant and portentous time,
particularly in terms of the way future international relations
may well be conducted. I have also strived quite consciously to
balance the sense of foreboding apparent in the opening of my
piece (with its pulsating piano, basses and drums) with moments
of transparency and light.
The work was originally conceived as a form of memorial music in
the aftermath of the Bali bombing in October 2002. In this sense,
the prominent role accorded to tuned percussion, particularly
gongs, pays homage to the moving memorials and traditional
ceremonies held on Bali following that tragedy. I finally
completed the scoring however between February and mid-March 2003
against the backdrop of daily developments in the worsening Iraq
crisis, finishing the final pages as the first bombing raids took
place on Baghdad, placing forever the significance of the events
on Bali into an altogether different context.
© Brett Dean, April, 2003
Work Details
Year: 2003
Instrumentation: 3 flutes (2nd and 3rd doubling piccolo), 3 oboes (3rd doubling cor anglais), 2 clarinets in B flat, bass clarinet in B flat, 2 bassoons, contra-bassoon, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, percussion (4 players), harp, celesta, piano, strings (min. 14.12.10.8.6).
Duration: 8 min.
Difficulty: Advanced
Commission note: Commissioned by Symphony Australia for performance by West Australian Symphony Orchestra with funds provided by Australia Council.
First performance: by West Australian Symphony Orchestra, Matteus Bamert — 9 May 03. Perth Concert Hall
Performances of this work
9 May 03: Perth Concert Hall. Featuring West Australian Symphony Orchestra, Matteus Bamert.
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