Australian Music Centre | Breaking sound barriers

Work Overview

The piece is partly inspired by M.C. Escher's woodcut, Puddle (1952). In this image at least two distinct perspectives can be apprehended: tracks in the mud, encircling a pool of water. The pool reflects moon and trees in silhouette under a watery twilight sky. Tree imagery is borrowed from the woodcut Pineta del Calvi, Corsica (1933) that he created 19 years earlier.

In a similar approach, for this orchestral work I borrowed fragments from my 1997 electroacoustic piece,

Like Two Balls of Liquid Silver Pedalling the Sky, recontextualising these materials into an entirely new form.

The work is structured in three discrete movements. Each movement can be performed separately, or the trilogy can form as a whole work of 15 minutes length.

The first movement begins with a expressive solo clarinet melody which emulates the vocal call to prayer. The clarinet is then joined by a forceful full orchestra with active percussion, engaging in rhythmical interplay. Clarinet and oboe persist by re-articulating the opening melody over the now rhythmically-intense texture.

The second movement is still and serene, a contrast to the briefly violent first movement. It plays with articulations of the harmonic series through various orchestral timbres. Octatonic scale features prominently in the bassoon interjections. The result is meditative and sublime.

The third movement, the longest, opens with a heart-beat-like bass drum and tubular bells in assymetrical 7/4 to create a mournful passacaglia. eventually various choirs of the orchestra join this passacaglia until the piece reaches a tutti apex - at once maniacal and tearful.

Work Details

Year: 2019

Instrumentation: 2 Flutes, piccolo, oboe, 2 clarinets in B flat, bass clarinet in B flat, bassoon, contrabassoon, 4 horns in F, trumpet in E flat, 2 trumpets in C, 2 tenor trombones, bass trombone, tuba, timpani, percussion (3 players), harp, celeste, strings (16.14.10.10.8).

Duration: 15 min.

Difficulty: Advanced — Suitable for professional orchestra or advanced tertiary

Contents note: I. Liquid sky (c.3:00) -- II. Long moon (c.4:00) -- III. Liquid moon (c.7:00)

Dedication note: This work is a musical tribute in honour of those families affected by the Christchurch mosque attacks in 2019.

Written for: University of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra

First performance: by University of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra at University of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (Melbourne Recital Centre, Elisabeth Murdoch Hall) on 18 Aug 2019

Influenced by Persian music.

The composer gratefully acknowledges support from Melbourne Conservatorium of Music.